Fayed HM, et al. - In this investigation involving 50 naive non-obese chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and 20 age-, sex- and body mass index-matched healthy individuals, researchers comparatively assessed retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), an adipokine secreted by adipocytes and hepatocytes, serum levels in anticipating liver fibrosis in CHC vs fibroscan, noninvasive fibrosis, and inflammatory indices. RBP4 negatively associated with viral load, fibroscan fibrosis grade, AFP, and positively linked to platelet, and white cell count. RBP4 demonstrated excellent precision, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV. RBP4 has superior diagnostic efficiency in anticipating advanced fibrosis grads in patients with CHC, and can thus replace expensive invasive procedures.