Fig 2: Elisa verification. (a) Salivary AFP expression in total HCC, LC, CHB and NC groups. (b) Salivary ORM1 expression in total HCC, LC, CHB and NC groups. (c) Salivary HP expression in HCC, LC, CHB and NC groups. (d) Salivary AFP expression in early HCC, LC, CHB and NC groups. (e) Salivary ORM1 expression in early HCC, LC, CHB and NC groups. (f) Salivary HP expression in early HCC, LC, CHB and NC groups. AFP a-fetoprotein, HP Haptoglobin, ORM1 Orosomucoid1, HCC hepatocellular carcinoma, LC liver cirrhosis, CHB chronic viral hepatitis B, NC normal control. Data are shown as median with range.

Fig 3: Correlation analysis of salivary AFP and serum AFP. AFP a-fetoprotein, HCC hepatocellular carcinoma, LC liver cirrhosis, CHB chronic viral hepatitis B.

Fig 4: The drug sensitivity test of primary cell spheroid. (A) AFP, albumin, ARG-1 and CK-18 immunostaining of primary cells to examine the cellular origin of primary cells. (B) Primary cells cultured in our novel 3D culture device for 3 days. (C) Inhibitory curve of CUDC-907 and sorafenib on primary cell spheroid. Primary cell spheroids were treated with CUDC-907 and sorafenib for 3 days. (D) The IC50 of CUDC-907 and sorafenib on primary HCC spheroids. (E) Calcein-AM/propidium iodide staining of primary cell spheroids. The primary cells were treated with CUDC-907 for 3 days. Scale bar = 200 µM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.001 (result compares with NC group).

Fig 5: Bright field and immunofluorescence photographs of primary cells. In bright field pictures, the red arrow points to the hepatocellular carcinoma cells, the yellow arrow points to the flat, long, spindle-shaped fibroblasts, and the blue arrow points to small spindle-shaped endothelial cells. AFP, albumin, ARG-1, and CK-18 immunostaining of primary cells to examine the cellular origin of primary HCC cells.