The mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, CASP1, and GSDMD were evaluated in 20 sample pairs of HCC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues showing a statistically significant difference between them in the mRNA expression levels of these three genes being under-expressed in HCC tissues (P < 0.001) (Fig. 2A, B). This evidence concerns the gene NLRP3 and hepatocellular carcinoma.