Conversely, HCV-cirrhotic samples with absence of HCC till conserved high expression levels of genes exerting negative cell cycle regulation (JUNB, CDKN2C, LIF, FOXO4, HMGA1, KLF4, NFKBIA, MYB, FZR1, and CDK11A/CDK11B) throughout all cell cycle phases. Here, CDKN2C is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.