Alcohol-related liver disease is a major public health problem, with a varying clinical course and often devastating consequences. Its spectrum can vary from alcohol-related fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Multiple environmental, genetic, socio-economic and epigenetic factors are intrinsically involved, affecting disease behavior and progression. Recent advances in genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic polymorphisms that may affect the pathophysiological process, and in turn, affect disease progression. Although the present understanding of this complex process remains nascent at best, there is an ardent need to incorporate available genetic markers into diagnostic and prognostic algorithms. This may pave the way for future research into targeted therapies.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.