TGFB1 and fibrosis: When the stage of fibrosis was taken into consideration, the levels of miR-125b, ARs and TGF-β were higher in serum taken from male patients with advanced fibrosis (stage F3–4) than with early fibrosis (stage F1–2) (2.3-fold increase, p = 0.04, 11.4-fold increase, p = 0.04, and 2.3-fold increase, p = 0.007, respectively; Figure 2F,G,I).