Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39359475›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in genetics2024

Identification of novel targets associated with cholesterol metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a comprehensive study using Mendelian randomization combined with transcriptome analysis.

Juan Chen, Huajing Rao, Xiaoling Zheng

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in genetics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Biomarker discovery in NAFLD: insights from metabolomics and vote counting meta-analysis.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Juan Chen *Department of Gastroenterology, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou University Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Huajing Rao *Emergency Internal Medicine, Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
Xiaoling ZhengDepartment of Endoscopy, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou University Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: There is limited research on cholesterol metabolism-related genes (CM-RGs) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), despite hypercholesterolemia being a recognized risk factor. The role of CM-RGs in NAFLD remains unclear. Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between NAFLD and control were acquired by differential expression analysis. The differentially expressed genes associated with cholesterol metabolism (DE-CM-RGs) were identified and functional enrichment analyses were performed. Protein-protein interaction network analysis and a two-sample Mendelian randomization study were utilized for identifying hub genes. Nomogram model, competing endogenous RNA and messenger RNA-drug networks were established. In addition, immunoinfiltration analysis was performed. Results: We identified four hub genes (MVK, HMGCS1, TM7SF2, and FDPS) linked to NAFLD risk. MVK and TM7SF2 were protective factors, HMGCS1 and FDPS were risk factors for NAFLD. The area under the curve values of nomograms in GSE135251 and GSE126848 were 0.79 and 0.848, respectively. The gene set enrichment analysis indicated that hub genes participated in calcium signaling pathways and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. NAFLD patients showed increased CD56 Conclusion: Our study has linked cholesterol metabolism genes (MVK, HMGCS1, TM7SF2, and FDPS) to NAFLD, providing a promising diagnostic framework, identifying treatment targets, and offering novel perspectives into its mechanisms.

Indexed as

bioinformatic analysischolesterol metabolismMendelian randomizationNAFLDprognosis

Identifiers

PMID39359475
PMCPMC11445148

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.