A correlation analysis of LDHB and DNMT 3A expression using the TCGA­LIHC dataset was conducted to further evaluate their physiological significance, and found that the mRNA levels of LDHB were negatively correlated with the mRNA levels of DNMT 3A in HCC tissues (r =  − 0.209, p < 0.001) (Fig. 2I). Here, LDHB is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.