To address this issue, we performed a gelatin zymography assay, which indicated that the secretion of MMP-2 was significantly reduced in HPF-1 cells cultured in supernatant collected from si-ANXA2-transfected HCC cells, with an inhibition rate of 46.75±3.29% and 35.60±2.88% in SMMC-7721 cells and FHCC-98 cells, respectively, compared to snc-RNA-transfected cells (p<0.01, Fig. 2C). This evidence concerns the gene MMP2 and hepatocellular carcinoma.