Abstract
This manuscript presents a letter to the editor addressing the study by Lv et al. (J Mol Histol 56(2):129, 2025), which identifies PDZ-binding kinase (PBK) as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While commending the article's comprehensive approach-including bioinformatics integration and validation of PBK's role in immune infiltration and methylation-the authors highlight three critical areas for improvement to enhance the study's rigor and clarity. First, they identify methodological issues in differential gene analysis, recommending RNA-seq-specific tools (e.g., DESeq2) over misapplied microarray frameworks like limma. Second, they critique the presentation of statistical significance, urging clearer reporting of P-values (e.g., P < 0.001) instead of P < 0.000. Third, they dispute the unrealistic survival curve in Fig. 2, suggesting evidence-based adjustments to reflect clinical plausibility. The letter emphasizes that addressing these concerns would strengthen the findings' impact on HCC research.