Previous studies have reported that Sema3C, as a secreted glycoprotein, was elevated in HCC tissues and correlated with tumor size, portal vein embolization, and metastasis.15,16 Consistently, we found that Sema3C expression was higher in patients with stage III&IV than in patients with stage I&II (Fig. 1b). This evidence concerns the gene SEMA3C and hepatocellular carcinoma.