ACOX2 and hepatocellular carcinoma: In addition, the ACOX2 expression level in humans is significantly downregulated in HCC than in normal liver specimens (fold-change = −3.19; p-value = 1.91 × 10−7) (Fig. 1F) and decreases gradually in malignant stages when compared with the early stages (p-value = 0.00096) (Fig. 1G).