VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma: Tissues with p-STAT3 expressed a higher immunostain rate overall than p-STAT1 in all liver (P < 0.001), or separate CH (P = 0.003) and HCC specimens (P = 0.024) (Figures 4A, B), while rising immunoreactivity level of p-STAT3 reflected significant correlation with IL-6 expression as compared to IL-27, TNF-α, and VEGF expression in all patients (P = 0.001; P = 0.289; P = 0.253; P = 0.109 respectively) or HCC (P = 0.003; P = 0.770; P = 0.917; P = 0.595 respectively) (Figures 4C, D).