To further investigate the potential synergistic effect of combining HBx and CD68 expression in prognostic prediction of HBV-related HCC, all patients from the training cohort were stratified into 4 groups based on the cut-off values of HBx and CD68 from the ROC curves: I: Both low (n = 56); II and III: either HBx or CD68 high (n = 25 and 16); IV: both high (n = 29). This evidence concerns the gene CD68 and hepatocellular carcinoma.