We investigated the expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) mRNA in tumor tissues surgically removed from ten patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). All HCC tissues expressed TGF-beta 1 mRNA at different levels, indicating the presence of activated transcription of TGF-beta 1 gene in human HCC tissues in vivo. The level of TGF-beta 1 mRNA expression showed no relationship to main tumor size of plasma alpha-fetoprotein level. Some HCC tissues presenting a relatively low grade of histological differentiation showed the highest levels of TGF-beta 1 mRNA expression.