: The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the role of rs72613567 within hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) in liver diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant studies on the effects of HSD17B13 rs72613567 on liver diseases were found using the PubMed. Web of Science, and Embase databases, up to March 2020. The keywords "HSD17B13", "polymorphism", "variant" and "rs72613567" were used. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (Cl) were extracted or estimated from each eligible study. A random -effects model was applied to pool results. RESULTS: We included a large population for the assessment of any liver disease (n=564702), cirrhosis (n=559834), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (n=183179), respectively. The results demonstrated that the TA allele of HSD17B13 rs72613567 could provide substantial protection from these disorders (any liver diseases: pooled OR=0.73, g5% C|=0.61'0.87; liver cirrhosis: pooled OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.76-0.88; HCC: pooled OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.53-0.77). In addition, four studies were summarized based on the histological features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). HSD17B13 rs72613567 showed a tendency towards decreased inflammation, reduced fibrosis, and milder disease severity in NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights that HSD17B13 rs72613567 is an important protective factor in multiple categories of liver diseases.