CRH and hepatocellular carcinoma: Even if speculative, the present results of higher HCC before tic onset could point to an overactivation of the HPA axis, perhaps as an inflammatory stress-related phenomenon, such as increased proinflammatory cytokine levels that enhance activation of the HPA axis (e.g., the overproduction of the corticotropin-releasing hormone, CRH), reflecting an enhanced response to stress [36].