IRF2 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: More specifically, the expression of IRF2, NLRP1, NLRP6, PRKACA, PLCG1, ELANE, CASP3, and GZMA was increased, while the expression of IL6, IL1B, IL1A, CASP4, NLRP7, NLRP9, NLRP2, NAIP, CYCS, CASP6, CASP9 and GSDMB was decreased in NASH compared with normal tissues as shown in volcano plot and heatmap (Fig. 1B,C, p < 0.001).