UC San Diego researchers link genes and diabetes to early-onset cirrhosis

Researchers at UC San Diego Health have identified a specific gene-metabolic interaction that contributes to early-onset cirrhosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, found that approximately 25% of cirrhosis cases occur before the age of 50.

According to senior author Rohit Loomba, MD, younger adults developing cirrhosis from MASLD do not simply experience the disease earlier than older patients. Instead, they appear to possess a unique combination of genetic susceptibility and metabolic risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes, that accelerate the progression to advanced liver disease.

The study analyzed data from 2,395 adults with MASLD. Researchers noted a lower prevalence of the protective HSD17B13 variant in those with early-onset cirrhosis compared to those with later-onset disease. These findings suggest that current screening tools, which often incorporate age as a factor, may have limitations in identifying high-risk younger individuals.