The expression of specific marker genes (for example, IL7R, SELL, TCF7, CCL5, CCL3, PDCD1, CXCR6, RGS1 and KLF2) along the latent time in patients with NAFLD or NASH differed from that seen in control participants (Fig. 3g), and correlated with the expression patterns seen in CD8+ T cells from NASH mice (Fig. 3h). This evidence concerns the gene IL7R and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.