Among HCC subgroups, only JUNB and EDN1 showed significant differences: JUNB was markedly higher in untreated HCV-HCC (P < 0.0001), potentially linking active infection to tumor progression, whereas EDN1 was lower in DAA-treated HCC (P < 0.05), suggesting viral clearance may partially modulate its oncogenic activity. Here, EDN1 is linked to infection.