Hepatic stellate cells and fibrosis progression in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background & Aims: Many patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have a benign clinical course, but a subgroup of patients progress to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, there are no available clinical tools to predict fibrosis progression in this population. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the source of collagen deposition in the liver.