IL17A and hepatocellular carcinoma: In 21 HCC cases without metastasis, no significant difference (P = 0.391, paired-samples T test) was observed in the frequency of IL-17A-positive cells between tumor (mean: 157±98 cells, in 10 continuous fields under 400× microscopy) and adjacent non-tumorous tissues (mean: 114±22) (Figure 1B).