Although an association of TRIM4 with carcinogenesis has not been clarified in any organ, our data clearly revealed that NASH-related HCC-specific DNA hypomethylation (Fig. 3), which occurred even at the precancerous NASH stage (in N samples) and was further strengthened in T samples (Fig. 2), is associated with overexpression of TRIM4. Here, TRIM4 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.