An initial univariate analysis showed that in population of patients with NAFLD (N = 247), the heterozygosity for PNPLA3 rs738409 variant may serve as independent predictor of having histologic NASH (OR 2.9: 95 % CI 1.67 – 5.05). This evidence concerns the gene PNPLA3 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.