Objective To detect the tissue factor (TF) mRNA expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and to elucidate its significance. Methods TF mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） in 27 cases of human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue specimen with their adjacent tissues and in 27 non-tumorous process tissues. Then the relationship between mRNA expression and pathological data were analyzed. Results The expression and the relative expression intensity of TF in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues were 62.96%（17/27） and 0.567±0.268 respectively, which were significantly higher than those in their adjacent tissues 〔33.33%(9/27), 0.469±0.184〕 and in 27 non-tumorous process tissue 〔29.63%(8/27), 0.353±0.121〕, Plt;0.05. The relative expression intensity of TF were associated with tumor size, intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis and portal vein invasion, but unrelated to gender, AFP level, differentiation, HBsAg, cirrhosis, number of tumor lesions, and lymph node metastasis (Pgt;0.05). Conclusion Expression of TF mRNA were significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma and in the invasive and metastatic tissue, which indicated that TF may play an important role in carcinogenesis, invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.