Of two clinical studies in patients with liver cancer, one Turkish study reported significantly increased serum ghrelin levels in 22 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to hepatitis B or D virus and similarly increased levels in 23 patients with cirrhosis vs 25 control subjects (Ataseven et al. 2006) (Table 1). This evidence concerns the gene GHRL and hepatocellular carcinoma.