Correlation analysis between SIRT4 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients revealed that SIRT4 expression in HCC peritumour tissues was negatively associated with the tumour size (r = − 0.313, p = 0,003), pathological grade (r = − 0.266, p = 0.011), T stage (r = − 0.370, p = 0.001), and clinical stage (r = − 0.390, p = 0.000) of HCC patients (Table 1), but there was no correlation between SIRT4 expression in tumour tissues and clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients (p > 0.05). The gene discussed is SIRT4; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.