In human, increases in plasma NPC2 have been observed under pathological conditions, such as liver cirrhosis, atherosclerotic aortic aneurysm or hepatocellular carcinoma12,13, but may not be due to augmented NPC2 secretion by the liver, as hepatic expression of NPC2 was reduced in patients of liver cirrhosis12. The gene discussed is NPC2; the disease is cirrhosis of liver.