ESPL1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Serum ESPL1 levels are significantly higher in HBV-HCC patients compared to those with non-HBV-HCC and correlate positively with histological grade; tumor size does not strictly correlate with malignancy, indicating that serum ESPL1 levels can reflect the malignancy of HBV-HCC and aid in the differential diagnosis of liver nodules in HBV-infected individuals (12).