IL6 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: Moreover, the gut microbiome may play a role in the development of obesity-induced NAFLD, as a previous study has shown that genetically obese mice have increased intestinal permeability, higher circulating LPS and IL-6 levels, increased membrane CD14 expression on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and stronger inflammatory responses of HSCs to LPS than lean mice [9].