AURKA and neoplasm: In order to investigate the interplay of the DEGs, a network of PPI was established and 10 hub genes upregulated in tumor tissues of HBV-associated HCC including CDK1, CCNB1, CCNB2, PBK, ASPM, NDC80, AURKA, TPX2, KIF2C, and CENPF were screened out.