PNPLA3 and viral hepatitis: A plausible explanation for the observed effect of alcohol in the Hispanic subpopulation might be the PNPLA3 gene (a genetic variant associated with increased liver fat independent of differences in body composition, diabetes or serum lipoprotein levels, and known to influence fibrogenesis related to alcoholic steatohepatitis and viral hepatitis), which occurs more commonly in Hispanics [20].