Given that enhanced hedgehog signalling activation and elevated TAP1 mRNA expression were found in poorly differentiated Huh‐7‐trans, Huh‐7‐DN cells and HCC specimens with lower AFP levels, their expression in a variety of hepatoma cell lines with different differentiation degree was determined to investigate whether this phenomenon is universal in poorly differentiated hepatoma cells. Here, TAP1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.