Also serum levels of MDK did not show any significant correlation with serum levels of AFP in all studied patients (r = 0.107; P = 0.291), while serum levels of AFP showed significant positive correlation only with tumor size but not with tumor number in the 40 HCC patients (r = 0.36; P = 0.022 and r = 0.088; P = 0.588, resp). This evidence concerns the gene MDK and hepatocellular carcinoma.