ASGR protein levels were reduced in higher-grade human HCC samples (grades 2 and 3, moderately and poorly differentiated) compared to normal liver or well-differentiated HCC (grade 1), as determined by H-scores (Figure 3A), consistent with the previous reports.13, 20 When HCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were analyzed, ASGR1 mRNA levels were also modestly but significantly reduced in higher-grade HCC samples (Figure 3B). This evidence concerns the gene ASGR1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.