As shown in Fig. 3A, the proportion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells was significantly higher in the early-stage (I–II) HCC groups of patients with various tumor sizes than in the control group; moreover, the proportion of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ Treg cells was significantly higher in the HCC group with large tumors than in the HCC group with small tumors. This evidence concerns the gene CD4 and hepatocellular carcinoma.