Liver Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number and Deletion Levels May Contribute to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Susceptibility.

Background: There is growing evidence that deficiencies observed in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) functions could play an important role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We hypothesized that genetic variations in mtDNA could affect the mitochondrial function and contribute to the NAFLD susceptibility.

Objectives: In this study, the possible association of the mtDNA copy number and 4,977-bp deletion levels with NAFLD susceptibility in a sample of Iranian population was evaluated.