DKK1 and hemoglobin measurement: Dataset of HB patients showed that Axin2 and DKK1 mRNAs were upregulated, while PAI-1 and GADD45B (target genes of TGFβ signaling) mRNAs were significantly downregulated in HB lesions compared with the nontumor regions (Fig. 4a; Supplementary Fig. 4a).