ACE and hepatocellular carcinoma: AFP is the most representative HCC marker sometimes expressed by regenerating livers [19], AFP-L3 is an AFP isoform which can predict the malignant potential of HCC and, together with AFP, provide high sensitivity and specificity in HCC diagnosis [20–22], and DCP is an abnormal form of the clotting factor prothrombin which is another representative marker of HCC and often marks a distinct population of AFP-producing HCCs [23, 24].