Consistent with the findings in the GTEx dataset, hepatic LCN2 expression was significantly increased in patients with NASH compared to normal individuals, and these results were similar to the expression patterns of other NASH-associated genes, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha, COL1α1, COL3α1, COL5α1, FAS, MMP9, nuclear receptor coactivator 4, SCD, solute carrier family 22 member 17, SREBF1, and TGF-β1 (Fig. 7f). Here, MMP9 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis.