In addition to the aforementioned genes validated in liver cancer tissues, we also identified four candidate genes (ZNF677, ARHGAP40, ERAP1, and PUS3) in thyroid and spleen tissues, of which ERAP1 has been reported to be associated with the development of sclerosing cholangitis, a disease that may progress to cirrhosis (Ellinghaus et al., 2016). Here, ARHGAP40 is linked to liver cancer.