Furthermore, in a multivariate Cox model, including serum AFP, tumor stage, tumor grading, presence of cirrhosis, gender, age, AQP3 expression, AQP5 expression, and combined AQP3/AQP5 expression, we found that AQP3 expression (both P = 0.01, Table 3), AQP5 expression (P = 0.006 and 0.01, Table 3), and combined AQP3/AQP5 expression (P = 0.009 and 0.01, Table 3) were independent poor prognostic factors for both 5-year disease-free survival and 5-year overall survival in HCC. Here, AQP5 is linked to Cirrhosis.