SMAD3 and fibrosis: These analyses concluded that the expression pattern of TFs shifted as the fibroblast phenotype transitioned from FB1 to FB3, indicating that CREB3L1, SOX9, ERG, MBNL2, and GATA4 were crucial in the initial phases of LF fibrosis, while TCF3, SMAD1, SMAD3, SP1, and FOXO3 were more involved in the later stages.