In recent years, the most commonly observed genetic alteration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as in many other tumors affecting man, has been reported to be the mutation of the p53 coding gene (1 ,2 ). This gene has the features of a recessive oncosuppressor in its wild-type form and can be a dominant oncogene in its mutated form. The gene (20 kb) is located in a single copy on the short arm of chromosome 17 and contains 11 exons interrupted by 10 introns. The mRNA (2.8 kb) codes for a protein of 393 amino acids, which is expressed at relatively low levels in all tissues. p53 product is a 53-kDa phosphoprotein involved in the regulation of cell cycle, in DNA synthesis and repair, and in cell differentiation and apoptosis (see refs. 3 –6 , for reviews).