The treatment of either HCC cells supernatants with rich-in-C5a or recombinant C5a to M2 macrophages significantly induced its expression of C5aR and, surprisingly, IL-17 regulatory genes (CXCL-1, CXCL-2, MCSF, IL-17F) and Th-17 secretory cytokines (IL-17F, IL-21 and IL-22). Here, C5AR1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.