METHODS The subjects in the present study included 60 healthy controls, 30 hepatitis patients, 60 liver cirrhosis patients and 60 untreated hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Blood was drawn by venipuncture into Venoject tubes. To find the possible correlations between liver damage and IGFs, serum IGF-1, GH, IGFBP-3 concentration and related biochemical parameters were measured. We used immunoradiometric assay to determine the levels of IGF-1, HGH and IGFBP-3 in serum.