The extracellular proteinase inhibitor gene Expi is a candidate gene for hepatic fibrosis susceptibility

Recently we identified and mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that determine hepatocellular susceptibility to profibrogenic transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signalling in cultured primary hepatocytes. We availed of cells from the murine reference population BXD, recombinant inbred offspring of the mouse strains C57BL/6J and DBA/2J, which differ in fibrosis susceptibility (Andreux et al. Cell 2012). Methods: The effects of genetic loci within phenotypic QTLs on hepatic gene expression were assessed during short-term (24 hrs) liver damage by ethanol or after chronic CCl4 challenge (12 injections over 6 wks…