Fatty liver breakthrough? scientists target gene switches

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: We will analyse data and samples from subjects with the following criteria: * Subjects aged\>18; * Subjects who have already given their consent to genetic analysis and whose samples and data have already been collected as part of the SERENA, REASON and MAFALDA studies; * Subjects who have given their consent to participate in this study. In particular, subjects with the following characteristics were included respectively: * in the SERENA study: 1. Diagnosis of NAFLD 2. Age between 45 and 75 years old 3. Any of the following criteria: 1. F3-F4 fibrosis, determined histologically, or by non-invasive techniques, or evidence of cirrhosis deriving from biochemical tests or imaging methods; 2. Family history of related first-degree primary liver cancer, or carrier status of rare mutations associated with the development of HCC (such as mutations in APOB and TERT) 3. Male patient with type 2 diabetes or obesity carrying at least three genetic variants in PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7. * in the REASON study: Patients aged\>18, who have given their consent to participate in the study, who underwent the fol- lowing procedures: * liver biopsy for suspected non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) at the time of diagnosis; * liver resection for hepatocarcinoma, other liver lesions (including secondaries from other neo- plasms and benign focal lesions, which will allow obtaining healthy starting liver tissue), biopsies of whole liver explants obtained at the time of liver transplantation AND cholecystectomies. * In the MAFALDA study: Patients undergoing bariatric surgery for grade 3 obesity (BMI ≥40 Kg/m2) or grade 2 obesity plus: * metabolic comorbidities (uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia); * lack of contraindication to surgery (e.g. advanced liver disease with portal hypertension); * willingness to sign an informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals not reporting one of the inclusion criteria listed above or reporting at-risk alcohol intake (\>30/20 g/day in M/F), viral and autoimmune hepatitis or other causes of liver disease will be ex- cluded.