Digestive diseases and sciences
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Alpha-fetoprotein detection is currently mainly used in clinic for diagnosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its sensitivity and specificity are not satisfying. Approximately 60-80 % of patients with HCC have an established background of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). ⋯ Our results suggest that serum miR-18a might serve as a novel and potential noninvasive biomarker for HBV-related HCC screening.