MELK and hepatocellular carcinoma: The RT-qPCR and Western blot results of the levels of miR-21-5p and MELK in 30 groups of clinicopathological samples (HCC tissues and paracancerous tissues of HCC patients) showed that the levels of miR-21-5p and MELK were markedly elevated in HCC (Figures 1(c) and 1(d)).