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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Genet.
Sec. Statistical Genetics and Methodology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1422827

Nonalcoholic or Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Colorectal Polyps: Evidence from meta-analysis and two-sample Mendelian randomization

Provisionally accepted
Dong Zhai Dong Zhai 1Sumei Xu Sumei Xu 2Haoge Liu Haoge Liu 2Xiaojuan Tong Xiaojuan Tong 2*
  • 1 The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhongshan Hospital of Zhejiang Province), Hangzhou, China
  • 2 The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Nonalcoholic or metabolism-associated fatty liver disease (NAFLD or MAFLD) and colorectal polyps are chronic conditions strongly linked to lifestyle factors. However, the precise causal link between NAFLD or MAFLD and the development of colorectal polyps is not yet fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the association between NAFLD or MAFLD and the risk of colorectal polyps based on a meta-analysis and two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library databases were searched for eligible studies to be included in the meta-analysis We conducted a thorough search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to identify eligible studies prior to March 22, 2024. Subgroup analyses were performed based on sex, age, and geographical region. Causality between NAFLD/MAFLD and colorectal polyps was explored by using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Results: Based on an analysis of 17 studies encompassed within this meta-analysis, a significant correlation was identified between the presence of NAFLD/MAFLD and elevated incidence of colorectal polyps (NAFLD: OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.43-1.73, I 2 = 38%, p =0.06; MAFLD: OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.40-2.00, I 2 = 77%, p =0.002). However, the current body of evidence does not support a causal relationship between NAFLD/MAFLD and the prevalence of colorectal polyps (OR = 0.9998315, 95% CI: 0.9987566-1.000907, P = 0.7587638). Conclusion: NAFLD/MAFLD demonstrated a significant positive correlation with an elevated risk of developing colorectal polyps. However, the MR analysis suggested that no causal relationship existed between NAFLD/MAFLD and colorectal polyps. Therefore, further research is required to identify the underlying mechanism of causal link between these diseases.

    Keywords: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, colorectal polyps, Meta-analysis, Mendelian randomization Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Mendelian randomization

    Received: 08 May 2024; Accepted: 26 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhai, Xu, Liu and Tong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xiaojuan Tong, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.