MACC1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: By quantitative RT-PCR assay, the level of intratumoral MACC1 mRNA expression in these advanced HCC patients (0.009 ± 0.005) was about 15-fold higher than that in 10 normal control liver tissue (0.0006 ± 0.00005, p = 0.0031, Figure 2A and 2B).