IL6 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Recently, we have shown in non-neoplastic hepatocytes and HCC cells that STAT3, activated by the IL6-type cytokine OSM, upregulates HIF-1 α expression under normoxic conditions, via a transcriptional mechanism, leading to the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI) [9].