Figure 3.

Hierarchical clustering clearly distinguishes healthy controls from HCC patients. Plasma levels of gut microbe-associated metabolites were quantified using stable isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in patients with HCC and healthy controls. Shown here are Heatmaps demonstrating differential metabolite abundance. (A) Gut microbiota-derived metabolites can distinctly classify patients without HCC (healthy controls, red) from patients with HCC (blue). (B) Gut microbiota -derived metabolites are not differentially expressed in patients with HCC based on the quality of their underlying liver parenchyma.