Faivre M, et al. - In the CIrrhose et Risque de Carcinome Hépatocellulaire dans le grand-Est (CIRCE) study, a French multicenter case-control study, researchers evaluated whether cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in cirrhotic patients is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related mortality. They recorded 25 cases of HCC developed in controls and 209 deaths (163 liver-related) during a median follow-up of 31 months. According to findings, CMV-seropositive cirrhotic patients were at greater risk of liver-related death caused by more aggressive HCCs or severe cirrhosis complications in this preliminary study. They suggested that these findings must be confirmed.