Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy specimens of sixty cases of Hepatitis B virus related chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and cirrhosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma were evaluated for the occurence and severity of large cell change and its correlation with proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity.

The occurrence of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and cirrhosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma was 25%, 50% and 55%, respectively. Although severe large cell change was more frequent in the tumour group, and cases with large cell change were older than cases without large cell change, these results were not statistically significant. Large cell change cells did not show positive reaction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen, except for two cases in the tumour group. No correlation was detected between the proliferating cell nuclear antigen index and occurence of large cell change. Our data suggests that large cell change is not a preneoplastic change.