Among them, the variant (rs738409 c.444 C>G, p.I148M) in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3), which influences the activity of the PNPLA3 enzyme resulting in increased accumulation of fat in the liver, has been associated with predisposition to fatty liver disease and HCC (20, 21). Here, PNPLA3 is linked to fatty liver disease.