In clinical samples of liver fibrosis, CD24+CK19+/CD24+SOX9+ ductular reactive cells were abundantly found in regions of ductular reaction (Fig. 1a, Additional file 1: Fig. S1a, Tables S4 and S5) [21], suggesting the activation and expansion of ductular reactive cells[1]. This evidence concerns the gene SOX9 and Hepatic fibrosis.