Additional pathway enrichment analysis in MetaCoreTM and IPA® confirmed the finding that the high NTS expression was closely related to inflammation-related pathways, including hepatic fibrosis/hepatic stellate cell activation, ECM remodeling, chemokines and adhesion, regulation of actin-based motility in the HCC tissue, and activation of HIF-1α and the Wnt/β-catenin-mediated EMT in HCC cells (data not shown). Here, HIF1A is linked to fibrosis.