Hepatocellular carcinoma is a serious complication of chronic liver disease. Serum AFP levels have been reported to be elevated above the upper limit of normal values in only 33-65% of patients with HCC. Patients with HCC (20) showed significant higher serum TGF-1 levels than those in the patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis as well as in normal control (p-value < 0.01). Sensitivity of TGF-1 was 90% and the specificity was 100% at the cut off level of > 130 pg/ml whichis much higher than AFP (sensitivity 35% at cut off > 400 ng/ml).