Yoshikawa et al(6) compared genomic NotI restriction fragments between normal and HCC tissues by restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS) analysis and isolated several aberrantly methylated genes, such as suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1), SOCS-3 and apoptotic speck protein-like (ASCL) (5–10). Here, SOCS1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.