To test our hypothesis, we conducted a case-control study of 1300 HBV-positive HCC patients, 1344 HBV persistent carriers and 1344 subjects with HBV natural clearance to assess the associations between SNPs in HULC and MALAT1 and the susceptibility to HBV chronic infection and HCC. The gene discussed is MALAT1; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.