Metabolic disorders, in particular metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes, are associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease. It was previously unclear whether hereditary factors also contribute to the deterioration of kidney function. Against this background, DDZ researchers analyzed data from over 700 participants in the German Diabetes Study (GDS) to investigate the relationship between liver fat, kidney function and genetic factors. The GDS is a prospective, multicenter study initiated and led by the DDZ that investigates the natural course of diabetes in adults newly diagnosed with the disease.
No direct effect of the PNPLA3 gene on kidney function detectable
While the G allele of the PNPLA3 gene is associated with increased fatty degeneration of the liver, the study was unable to demonstrate a direct effect of this gene on kidney function. “We see that carriers of the G allele have a higher liver fat storage and more frequently exhibit a reduced glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), but without a detectable direct effect on kidney function,” explains first author Dr. Oana-Patricia Zaharia.
On the way to precision medicine
“The DDZ has long been making a significant contribution to a new classification of diabetes mellitus into subgroups or subtypes. Studies such as Ms. Zaharia’s award-winning work help to identify affected individuals with an increased risk of liver and kidney and other complications, in order to enable more targeted prevention and therapy in the context of precision diabetology,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. Michael Roden, Scientific Managing Director and Spokesman of the Board of the DDZ and Director of the Clinic for Endocrinology and Diabetology at the University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD).
The award ceremony took place at the 30th anniversary conference of the North Rhine-Westphalian Society for Endocrinology and Diabetology in Duisburg.
Karl Oberdisse Award honors NRW scientists
The Nordrhein-Westfälische Gesellschaft für Endokrinologie und Diabetologie e.V. (North Rhine-Westphalian Society for Endocrinology and Diabetology) presents an annual award for the best clinical or experimental work in the field of endocrinology and diabetology. Physicians or scientists who have carried out significant parts of their work in North Rhine-Westphalia are eligible to apply. Prof. Dr. Karl Oberdisse (1903–2002), who gave his name to the award, had a significant influence on German endocrinology and diabetology. He held the Chair of Internal Medicine at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and founded the Diabetes Research Institute (Diabetes-Forschungsinstitut, DFI) at the University of Düsseldorf in 1965. This institution, which he headed from 1964 to 1973, has been known as the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) since 2004.
About the person
Dr. Oana Patricia Zaharia studied human medicine at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest from 2009 to 2015. During her studies, she completed an Erasmus year at the University of Leipzig. From 2016 to 2020, she worked as a study doctor at the Institute for Clinical Diabetology at the German Diabetes Center. She then completed her further training as a specialist in internal medicine, endocrinology and diabetology at the Clinic for Endocrinology and Diabetology at Düsseldorf University Hospital under Prof. Roden. Since then, she has worked as a specialist and since 2024 as a senior consultant at the clinic.
Her scientific work focuses on metabolic characteristics in people newly diagnosed with diabetes and investigates the genetic differences between the subtypes of diabetes mellitus. In 2018, she received the Dr. Eickelberg Sponsorship Award for her research into a special form of autoimmune diabetes. In 2021, she received the EASD Rising Star Award for her work on the subtypes of diabetes.
