Consistent with the real-time PCR results, the NEK2 mRNA expression levels in HepG2 (1.1611 ± 0.16602; 95%Cl: -0.28965, -0.03035; P = 0.021) and Hep3B (1.5700 ± 0.30381; 95%Cl: -0.80339, -0.33439; P = 0.000) HCC cells were significantly higher than those in the normal liver HL7702 cells (1.0011 ± 0.04833) (P < 0.05) (Fig. 3f). Here, NEK2 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.