OBJECTIVE: To systemically explore the cellular adhesion signal transduction 
network of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma 
cells with bioinformatics tools.
METHODS: Published microarray dataset of TNF-α-induced HepG2, human 
transcription factor database HTRI and human protein-protein interaction 
database HPRD were used to construct and analyze the signal transduction 
network.
RESULTS: In the signal transduction network, MYC and SP1 were the key nodes of 
signaling transduction. Several genes from the network were closely related with 
cellular adhesion.Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a possible key gene 
of effectively regulating cellular adhesion during the induction of TNF-α.
CONCLUSION: EGFR is a possible key gene for TNF-α-induced metastasis of 
hepatocellular carcinoma.