Chronic HCV infection causes hepatic inflammation, necrosis, metabolic disorders, steatosis, regeneration, and cirrhosis, thus facilitating the development of HCC by creating an immunosuppressive tumorigenic environment and activating cancer stem-like cells by proinflammatory factors like plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (40, 41). This evidence concerns the gene SERPINE1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.