LEP and chronic hepatitis C virus infection: The positive correlation between the M score and NAFLD activity score and the fact that leptin, a circulating peptide hormone mainly produced by adipose tissue, leads to upregulation of proinflammatory and proangiogenic cytokines in human hepatic stellate cells [45] raise a possibility that the latter mechanism may be involved in the angiogenesis of steatotic chronic hepatitis C. Future correlation studies between the distribution of the hepatic stellate cells and angiogenesis in steatotic chronic hepatitis C may be insightful.