Moreover, we identified 42 genes, such as SEMA4D, RBM28, and RPS3A, whose expression had become abnormal in early-stage liver cirrhosis patients before HCC development, indicating that these 42 abnormally expressed genes may play an important role in the transformation of cirrhosis to early HCC and they may be served as biomarkers for the identification of early-stage liver cirrhosis patients who were at high risk for HCC development. This evidence concerns the gene SEMA4D and hepatocellular carcinoma.