AIM:To certify the relationship between AFP mRNA and some pathological parameters of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:We detected the expression of AFP in mRNA level in tissue samples from 52 patients suffered from HCC by RT-PCR method.RESULTS:The positive rate of AFP mRNA was 76.9% in the HCC tumor tissues,and 69.4% in the paratumor tissues from the HCC patients with severe cirrhosis.However, in HCC patients without cirrhosis, the positive rate reached 50% in tumor tissues, but no AFP mRNA expression was found in the related paratumor tissues.CONCLUSION:The AFP protein was specially expressed by HCC cells and mutated hepatocytes.The AFP mRNA was positively related with cirrhosis, but no significant relationship was found between AFP mRNA and tumor size, capsule status and tumor metastasis.