However, it is worth noting that some studies have found that the anti-fibrotic activity of NK cells is negatively correlated with the progression of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C, which is most likely due to the fact that the large increase in the secretion of TGF-β1 by aHSCs can inhibit the degranulation of NK cells and IFN-γ production, and thus suppress their anti-fibrotic effects (Shi et al., 2017). This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and Hepatic fibrosis.