The components of hepatic ECM include several families of structural and supporting molecules: collagens, noncollagen glycoproteins, matrix-bound growth factors, glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, and matricellular proteins [2], (http://dispatch.mail-list.com/archives). In the normal liver, collagens (types I, III, V, and XI) are largely confined to the capsule, the area around large vessels, and the portal triad, with only scattered fibrils containing types I and III in the subendothelial space. In advanced fibrosis, collagen content increases 3- to 10-fold [3], (http://dispatch.mail-list.com/archives/hbv_research))