Surprisingly, liver stiffness was then associated with non-hepatic organ functions, specifically with renal failure (Figure 4A, Table 3), pulmonary dysfunction as mirrored by parameters of mechanical ventilation (Table 3) and with circulatory impairment summarizing heart failure and volume load, by the means of vasopressor demand, net fluid balance, NT-proBNP serum concentrations and central venous pressure (Figure 4B, C, Table 3). The gene discussed is NPPB; the disease is heart failure.