We evaluated the expression of the pluri potent stem cell genes Oct4, Sox2 and Klf4, as well as that of the c-Myc, Nanog and Lin28 genes in HCC samples and corresponding adjacent non-tumor liver samples obtained from 57 patients using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Here, POU5F1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.