IL6 and hepatocellular carcinoma: We found that among 212 tumor samples in the GSE14520 (HBV-induced HCC) study, 72 HCC samples had the expression of SPTBN1 below the median level among the whole group of samples and expression of IL-1β above the median level among the whole group (SPTBN1 low/IL-1β high); 41 HCC samples had the expression of SPTBN1 low/IL-6 high among the whole group; 63 HCC samples had the expression of SPTBN1 low/IL-1α high among the whole group.