DEFA1B and hepatocellular carcinoma: Based on RNA sequencing of the PBMCs from HCC patients, we identified METTL7B, BCAM, CLDN18, DEFA1B, SOCS3, HBG2, GSTM1, RNASE3, ITGA9 and S100P as potential markers associated with poor prognosis, of which METTL7B, ITGA9, SOCS3 and RNASE3 were significantly upregulated in BCLC stage D patients.