To validate the expression of 5 Hyper-LGs (GNG4, EPCAM, SPARCL1, DGKK, and SLC39A4) and 1 Hypo­HGs (HOXD9), in vitro RT-PCR was performed in blood samples from 7 NAFLD of HCC patients with cirrhosis and 6 non-NAFLD of HCC patients with cirrhosis (Fig. 6). Here, SPARCL1 is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.