Among the top 20 proteins most correlated with stages of fibrosis were prominent liver-secreted proteins (Fig. 2d) with roles in cell–ECM interactions (TGFBI and EMILIN1 (ref. 44)), as well as those previously associated with hepatic fibrosis (IGFBP7 (ref. 45) and TNXB46). This evidence concerns the gene IGFBP7 and Hepatic fibrosis.