Enzyme activity, protein contents, and mRNA contents of group II phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surgically obtained from 8 patients were compared with those in either its neighboring liver tissues or control liver tissues. The PLA2 specific activity towards the mixed micelles of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol and cholate was significantly greater in the tumor tissues (6.62 +/- 1.46 nmol/min/mg) than those in the surrounding liver tissues (1.33 +/- 0.22 nmol/min/mg) and controls (0.43 +/- 0.04 nmol/min/mg). The results of immunoblot analysis using a specific anti-human group II PLA2 antibody and of Northern blot analysis using a human group II PLA2 cDNA as a probe demonstrated that group II PLA2 was responsible for the increased enzyme activity. The contents of immunoreactive group II PLA2 in the tumor tissues (8.81 +/- 1.24 ng/mg) were significantly higher than those in the surrounding liver tissues (1.74 +/- 0.27 ng/mg); those in the control tissues were below the analytical range of the method used. The group II PLA2 mRNA was also significantly increased in the tumor tissues, compared with that in the surrounding liver tissues, whereas it was not detectable in the controls. This indicates that group II PLA2 in HCC is induced at the pretranslational level.