PTX3 and fibrosis: Analysis of the plasma PTX3 levels of the NAFLD patients in relation to the histological stage of fibrosis revealed stepwise increases in the plasma PTX3 levels as the stages of hepatic fibrosis increased (p < 0.0001, Kruskal-Wallis test) (Fig. 3), and the differences between stage 0 and stage 3, stage 0 and stage 4, stage 1 and stage 3, stage 1 and stage 4, and stage 2 and stage 4 were significant (p = 0.0009, p < 0.0001, p = 0.0136, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0465, respectively).