These results are in contrast with previously reported findings16, which may be due to the limited number of tumours studied and to the fact that all the analysed tumours were (a) histologically well-differentiated (Edmondson–Steiner grade I–II, ES GI-GII)24, (b) showed levels of HBV replication comparable to those detected in matched non-tumour tissue samples (Table 2), and (c) expressed sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), the entry HBV receptor, though at lower levels than non-tumour tissues (P = 0.028, Student’s t test) (Fig. 2). This evidence concerns the gene SLC10A1 and neoplasm.