We found that some ATSFI indicators alone or in combination were capable of differentiating PHC (including early-stage HCC, small PHC and AFP-negative PHC) from LC with excellent performance, independence of but complementary to AFP, and good clinical utility and that aptamer-related fluorescence intensities were generally independent of the clinicopathological characteristics of PHC but correlated with multiple laboratory characteristics of PHC serum. The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.