In a subsequent study, we found that KICA decarboxylation was decreased in cirrhotic patients with HCC compared with cirrhotic patients without HCC and identical Child—Pugh scores [158], i.e., a classification ranging from score 5 to 15 which incorporates five variables (serum albumin and bilirubin, ascites, encephalopathy, and coagulation as prothrombin time) for assessing the prognosis of liver cirrhosis [186]. Here, ALB is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.