Given the importance of Hh signaling in mediating T cell development and cytotoxic functions (39, 41, 52), and its enrichment as leading GSEA hit (Figure 1C), we confirmed differential RNA expression in CD8 T cells in disparate liver fibrosis severities in HCV infection by qPCR analysis of PTCH1, SMO, and GLI1 mRNA. This evidence concerns the gene GLI1 and Hepatic fibrosis.