Table 3. Factors Up- and Down-Regulated After IGF-1 Gene Transfer in Cirrotic Patients (Modified From Bonefeld and Moller, Liver Int. 2011).

Up-regulated hepatoprotective factors		Down-regulated profibrogenic factors
HGF	Hepatocyte growth factor	Activated HSC	Activated hepatic stellate cells
MMPs	Matrix metalloproteases	αSMA	α-smooth muscle actin
HNF4α	Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α	TGF-β	Transforming growth factor-β
STAT3a	Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3a	STAT3b	Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3a
Egfr	Epidermal growth factor receptor	TIM1 and TIM2	Tissue inhibitors of MMPs
Hnf6	Hepatocyte nuclear factor 6	PDGF	Platelet-derived growth factor
Prlr	Prolactin receptor	CTGF	Connective tissue growth factor
Lifr	Leukemia inhibitory factor receptor	WT-1	Wilm’s tumor 1

Same factors could be involved in the positive clinical outcome seen when supplementing with rhIGF-1.