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Combined Effect of PNPLA3 , TM6SF2 , and HSD17B13 Variants on Risk of Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the General Population
Author(s) -
GellertKristensen Helene,
Richardson Tom G.,
Davey Smith George,
Nordestgaard Børge G.,
TybjærgHansen Anne,
Stender Stefan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.31238
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , cirrhosis , odds ratio , gastroenterology , confidence interval , population , environmental health
Background and Aims We hypothesized that a genetic risk score (GRS) for fatty liver disease influences the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Three genetic variants (patatin‐like phospholipase domain–containing protein 3 [ PNPLA3 ] p.I148M; transmembrane 6, superfamily member 2 [ TM6SF2 ] p.E167K; and hydroxysteroid 17‐beta dehydrogenase 13 [ HSD17B13 ] rs72613567) were combined into a risk score, ranging from 0 to 6 for risk‐increasing alleles. Approach and Results We examined the association of the risk score with plasma markers of liver disease and with cirrhosis and HCC in 110,761 individuals from Copenhagen, Denmark, and 334,691 individuals from the UK Biobank. The frequencies of risk scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 or 6 were 5%, 25%, 41%, 23%, 5.5%, and 0.5%, respectively. A higher GRS was associated with an increase in plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level of 26% in those with score 5 or 6 versus 0. In meta‐analysis of the Copenhagen studies and the UK Biobank, individuals with scores 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 or 6 had odds ratios (ORs) for cirrhosis of 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3, 1.9), 2.0 (95% CI, 1.8, 2.2), 3.1 (95% CI, 2.7, 3.5), 5.2 (95% CI, 4.2, 6.4), and 12 (95% CI, 7.7, 19), respectively, as compared with those with a score of 0. The corresponding ORs for HCC were 1.2 (95% CI, 0.9, 1.7), 1.0 (95% CI, 0.7, 1.3), 2.4 (95% CI, 1.9, 3.0), 3.3 (95% CI, 2.2, 5.0), and 29 (95% CI, 17, 51). Conclusion A GRS for fatty liver disease confers up to a 12‐fold higher risk of cirrhosis and up to a 29‐fold higher risk of HCC in individuals from the general population.