EPAS1 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: Similarly, in patients with NAFLD, hepatic levels of HIF2α and HIF1α are increased in early, non-inflamed stages of NAFLD, but only HIF2α levels are further increased in the livers of patients with NASH vs. patients with non-inflamed NAFLD (40), though studies in animal models do suggest a possible role for HIF1α as well (97).