Research paperPatatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3): A potential role in the association between liver disease and bipolar disorder

•PNPLA3 is involved in triglyceride metabolism.•A mutation in PNPLA3 is associated with bipolar disorder.•PNPLA3 may be involved in the association between bipolar disorder and liver disorders.

ObjectiveDue to the increased prevalence of liver disease in patients with bipolar disorder, we examined the potential role of the patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) variant among individuals with bipolar disorder and those with no mood disorder.MethodsWe used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (aged 15-39 years) to identify a group of individuals with a bipolar diagnosis and a control group of individuals with no mood disorder. A total of 1931 individuals were randomly selected, one from each family containing information on the PNPLA3 genotype to be used in the analysis.ResultsAnalyses revealed individuals with the recessive variant genotype (MM) had an adjusted odds ratio for bipolar disorder of about 4.6 compared to individuals with either IM or II genotypes of the PNPLA3 variant.Limitations and conclusionsLimitations of this study include the use of a lay-administered survey in for diagnosis of bipolar disorder in NHANES. The association between the PNPLA3 variant and bipolar disorder may help guide further work on medication effectiveness, treatment options, prevention approaches, and understanding potential medication side effects among specific subgroups of individuals with the MM genotype.