GPNMB and Hepatic fibrosis: Serum GPNMB levels showed the tendency to increase with the progression of liver fibrosis (stage 1; n = 27, 18.14 ± 7.99 ng/ml, stage 2; n = 9, 19.90 ± 8.42 ng/ml, stage 3; n = 13, 15.64 ± 8.29 ng/ml, stage 4; n = 11, 26.92 ± 10.76 ng/ml) (Fig. 6c).