The chemokine CXCL12 slightly stimulated proliferation of Huh-7 (Luminescence on day 4: 8037688±395512 IE vs 7146940±586960 IE; P=0.05), but not of Hep3B (Luminescence on day 4: 2745528±147741 IE vs 2533050±254525 IE; NS) or HepG2 (Luminescence on day 4: 3517047±173299 IE vs 3598328±294455 IE; NS) hepatoma cells (Figure 2A). This evidence concerns the gene CXCL12 and hepatocellular carcinoma.