Further GO enrichment analysis showed that pDC had several BPs involved in ‘positive regulation of SMC and fibroblast proliferation’ and ‘positive regulation of/response to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)’, which promote liver fibrosis (Appendix S7).19, 20. This evidence concerns the gene KDR and Hepatic fibrosis.