In our study, EDN1 showed marked upregulation in chronic HCV cases (3.96-fold, 1.83–2.08 fold in HCC groups and 2.15-fold in the SVR group), consistent with prior studies linking it to the CXCL8–SRC oncogenic axis in prolonged HCV infection underscoring its role in linking inflammation to tumor initiation.52 Here, SRC is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.