On the other hand, Tan et al. found that hepcidin, TfR2, transferrin (Tf), ceruloplasmin (Cp), and iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1), isolated in 24 HCC patients with chronic HBV infection, were downregulated compared to the adjacent tumor-free liver tissue and normal liver controls [69]. Here, TFR2 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.