Table 5.

Fibrosis scores according to the METAVIR system in the CHC with or without cirrhosis groups combined

Protein/location	F1 (n = 18)	F2 (n = 12)	F3 (n = 20)	F4 (n = 8)
Tissue TNF-α	14.33 ± 7.03	24.96 ± 14.45*	30.28 ± 5.16*	50.28 ± 15.99*†‡
Tissue VEGF	13.47 ± 9.43	16.66 ± 5.77	27.42 ± 3.48*†	48.42 ± 6.06*†‡
Serum TNF-α (pg/mL)	12.55 ± 3.12	24.0 ± 5.29*	61.67 ± 2.37*†	82.67 ± 7.10*†‡

n = 58. Tissue data are the mean percentage ± SD of positive-staining cells in 10 successive microscopic fields (×400) per liver tissue section.

^*P < .01, vs. F1 group.

^†P < .01 vs. F2 group.

^‡P < .05 vs. F3 group.