IGF1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Accordingly, this study confirmed that the gene expression level of circSERPINA3 in HCV-infected and HCC patients significantly had a negative correlation to the level of microRNA-944 and significantly had a positive correlation to MDM2 protein level, the downstream target of miR-944, in addition to the plasma level of miR-944 showed negative correlation to the oncogenic protein (IGF-1) in HCC patients.