AFP and hepatocellular carcinoma: We measured serum sST2 concentrations in healthy controls, patients with chronic hepatitis, and HCC patients, finding significantly higher sST2 levels in the latter group and a moderate increase in those with chronic hepatitis B. When compared with the traditional serum marker AFP in HCC group and HCs group, the diagnostic AUCs of sST2 (AUC = 0.861) was similar to AFP (AUC = 0.883), showing the potential of sST2 as a serum marker of HCC.