TNF and hepatocellular carcinoma: In the HBV-related HCC patients, the TNF-α levels in the MDM2 unmethylated group were significantly increased in the MDM2 methylated group (P=0.0246) (Fig. 5C), the levels of IL-6 in the MDM2 unmethylated group were slightly higher than those in the MDM2 unmethylated group (P>0.05).