IL18 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Corroborating with these findings, a 2020 study indicated that IL-18 single nucleotide gene polymorphism could be a marker for HCC in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis [54], and IL-18 gene polymorphisms could be used as a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool for HCC patients at early stages [55], which is supported by recent findings that IL-18 high levels are found in HCC patients with poor prognosis [56].