Mean AKR1B10 mRNA level by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was 11.77 ± 3.79 in HCC tissues, significantly higher than the level of 8.45 ± 2.78 in adjacent non-tumor tissues (P < 0.001; Fig. 1A). The gene discussed is AKR1B10; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.