SMAD3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: A severely fibrotic liver specimen with necroinflammatory grade 2 and fibrosis stage 4 obtained from patient 26 in Table 1, who was diagnosed with HCC at time of liver biopsy, showed high phosphorylation of Smad3L and suppressed C-terminal phosphorylation of Smad3 in hepatocytic nuclei (Figure 2C).