SOX9 positivity was only significantly associated with male gender (p = 0.013, χ2 test), whereas all other tested conditions (age (p = 0.641, χ2 test), presence of cirrhosis (p = 0.225, χ2 test), tumour stage (p = 0.748, χ2 test), tumour grade (p = 0.075, χ2 test), MDB (p = 0.583, χ2 test), IHB (p = 0.078, χ2 test) and inclusion bodies (p = 0.583, χ2 test)) were not significantly associated with SOX9 positivity(detailed in Table 2). Here, SOX9 is linked to neoplasm.