MMP9 and hepatocellular carcinoma: In HCC tumor tissues, MTBP positively correlated with the downstream genes of ETS-1, mmp9 (Figure 4A), mmp3 (Figure 4B), or uPA (Figure 4C) in the HCC clinical specimens and the regression equation and P values of Figures 4A-C were P < 0.0001, Y = 0.3041*X + 0.6444; P < 0.0001, Y = 0.1828*X + 0.8096; P < 0.0001, Y = 0.5420*X + 0.3892; respectively.