Using transcriptome analyses on the HuH-7 HCC cells overexpressing TSPY and those of clinical HCC specimens from the TCGA database, we identified 16 genes that were likely regulated directly or indirectly by TSPY in HCC cells and contributed to poor prognosis of HCC patients (Table 1, and Fig. 4 and Additional file 5: Figure S2). This evidence concerns the gene TSPY1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.