To elucidate bcl-2 protein expression in hepatic carcinogenetic process and its relationship with apoptotic changes. bcl-2 protein was evaluated immunohistochemically while apoptosis was approached with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) technique in 8 normal livers (NL), 17 liver cirrhosises (LC) and 77 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). The results showed that bcl-2 protein was expressed in 3 of 8 NLs(37.5%), 5 of 17 LCs(29.4%) and 7 of 77 HCCs(9.1%) with significant differences between group NL and HCC and between LC and HCC (Ｐ＜0.05). Apoptosis rates of 1.18±0.42%, 4.85±2.78%, 12.89±2.33% in NL, LC, HCC group respectively were demonstrated with significant differences among them (Ｐ＜0.01). Compared the bcl-2 expression with the apoptosis rate in this hepatocarcinogenetic process, reversed trends were presented. Conclusion: bcl-2 expression could be detected in NL, LC and HCC, and its decreasing expression was related to the inhibition attenuation of hepatocellular apoptosis in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis.