CXCR4 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Bel 7402 cells, an AFP‐producing HCC cells line, Western blotting assay showed that EpCAM, K19, MMP2/9 and CXCR4 also expressed in this cells, but expression of AFP was repressed while the cells were transfected with AFP‐siRNA vectors for 24 hrs and persisted descending for 48 and 72 hrs, expression of EpCAM, K19, MMP2/9 and CXCR4 proteins were significantly decreased concomitant with expression repressed of AFP contrast to control cells and scramble vectors (P < 0.05) (Fig. 7B).