Previous analysis by immunoblot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) demonstrated that the human HCC cell lines Huh7 and PLC/PRF/5 were more epithelial-like and the HLF cell line had a mesenchymal phenotype.21 We confirmed by immunoblot and immunofluorescent staining that Huh7 cells have high E-cadherin and low vimentin expression, whereas HLF cells have low E-cadherin and high vimentin expression (Figure 2a,b). The gene discussed is VIM; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.