EGFR and hepatocellular carcinoma: In our cases, ORFV-lesioned tissues significantly overexpressed IL-6, which is a multifunctional cytokine implicated in many proinflammatory functions, but also in promoting cell survival, apoptosis, and proliferation, with the level of IL-6 significantly increased in several tumors.11,14,17 Accordingly, EGFR activates transcription of IL-6 in liver macrophages contributing to hepatocellular carcinoma development.18 These findings suggest that this cytokine is involved in the molecular mechanism leading to the atypical proliferative changes seen in some ORFV infections.