The datamining of the TCGA datasets identified 692 DEGs with a cut-off differential expression level at |log2[difference]| > 0.6 and a P value < 0.05 between the male TSPY-high group and the male TSPY-silent group of HCC (Fig. 3c and Additional file 3: Table S2). Here, TSPY1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.