Although the derivation and validation cohorts were quite different in their distributions of sex, age, HBeAg serostatus, ALT concentration, HBV DNA level, and cirrhosis, the risk score developed from the derivation cohort accurately and reliably estimated the HCC risk at 3, 5 and 10 years of follow-up in the validation cohort. This evidence concerns the gene GPT and hepatocellular carcinoma.