IL6 and hepatocellular carcinoma: However, the increase in IL-8 expression was closely related to the increase in IL-6 and MCP-1 at 3 months after HCC surgery (r = 0.617, P = 0.005; r = 0.653, P = 0.002; respectively), and the increase in IL-6 and MCP-1 was strongly correlated (r = 0.733, P = 0.000).