ANGPT2 and hepatocellular carcinoma: In addition, DAAs rapidly reduce inflammation but increase serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels [34], and the DAA-mediated increase in VEGF favors HCC recurrence/occurrence in susceptible patients with more severe fibrosis and splanchnic collateralization who already have abnormal activation in liver tissues of neo-angiogenetic pathways, like angiopoietin-2 [35].