Interestingly SFRP2 promoter exhibited a pattern of progressive increase in DNA methylation that coincided with the various stages of liver disease, i.e. chronic hepatitis and cirrhotic samples exhibited methylation levels which were statistically higher than normal controls (N Vs CH p = 0.0136, N Vs LC p = 0.0084, Mann Whitney-U test). This evidence concerns the gene SFRP2 and chronic hepatitis.