Eighty-five patients were excluded: seropositive for hepatitis C virus, 16 patients; alcoholism, 8 patients; a baseline serum ALT > 80 U/L; 23 patients; a baseline serum total bilirubin > 2.0 mg/dL, 4 patients; discontinuing ETV or LAM during SCC, 2 patients; a history of exposure to any nucleos(t)ide, 32 patients. The gene discussed is GPT; the disease is alcohol dependence.