Reduction of caloric intake improves liver steatosis and overrides the prosteatotic effect of the PNPLA3 p.I148 M variant

Background: The PNPLA3 (adiponutrin) polymorphism p.I148 M represents the common genetic risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (Krawczyk & Lammert Semin Liver Dis 2013). High-caloric diet, in turn, represents the major modifiable (i.e. non-genetic) trigger of hepatic steatosis. In the current study we assess the effects of caloric restriction on liver phenotypes in patients with NAFLD in relation to PNPLA3 genotypes. Patients and methods: We genotyped the PNPLA3 variant in 173 Caucasian individuals with NAFLD (69 females, age 46.7 ± 14.0 years, BMI 35.5 ± 5.4 kg/m2) and 180 age-and sex-matche…