Abstract: Objective :To study the correlation of transforming growth factor-beta 1 expression inprimary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) tissues, para-cancer tissues and postoperative serum with postopera-tive relapse, metastasis, postoperative survival rate and different surgical procedures. Methods :SELISAand immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of TGF-β1 in PHC tissues, para-cancertissues and postoperative serum in 31 cases with different histological types and surgical procedures.Four secondary hepatic carcinoma (SHC) cases were also tested. Results :There was a significant differ-ence in TGF-β1 expression between PHC and SHC. The expression level of TGF-β1 was higher inpara-cancer tissues and postoperative serum of patients with more aggressive or more advanced carci-nomas. The expression level of TGF-β1 was higher in patients with cholangiocellular carcinoma than inpatients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The expression level of TGF-β1 was higher in patients withmetastases than in patients without metastases. The expression level of TGF-β1 was higher in patientswith standard hepatectomy than in patients with local hepatectomy. Conclusion : There is a direct cor-relation between the expression level of TGF-β1 and histological type and malignant degree of PHC,suggesting that the invasive growth of hepatic carcinoma stimulates interstitial tissues or cells to synthe-size and secrete TGF-β1. The expression of TGF-β1 in postoperative serum correlates with differentsurgical procedure. Standard hepatectomy causes more damage to the liver and the subsequent repopu-lation of hepatocytes and interstitial tissues or cells synthesize TGF-β1. A high level of TGF-β>1 inpostoperative serum is one of the factors related to the recurrence and metastasis of PHC and postopera-tive immune defect.