To assess whether adaptive NK cells isolated from the tumor are phenotypically different, we compared the expression of PLZF, Helios, NKG2C and CD57 in FcεRIγ− CD56dim NK cells from matched blood, adjacent non-tumor liver tissues, and HCC tumor tissues obtained from HCMV+ HCC patients with more than 10% FcεRIγ− adaptive CD56dim NK cells in their blood. The gene discussed is ZBTB16; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.