Objective To study the diagnostic value of serum α-L-fueosidase (AFU), transforming growth factor alpha(TGF-α)and ferritin (Fer) in primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC). Methods AFU and Fer in the serum were studied in 36 patients with benign hepatism and 56 patients with low concentration AFP of PHC hepatic carcinoma by automatic biochemistry analyzer Roche Modular. ELISA was used to assay the degree of TGF-α The sensitivity and specificity of AFU, TGF-α and Fer for low expression AFP of PHC were evaluated by ROC curve. Results The serum AFU, Fer and TGF-α levels were all significant difference in the patients than those in controls (P <0.05). The area under ROC curve of these indexes in descending order was AFU (0.707), TGF-α (0.677) and Fer (0.592). The diagnostic sensitivity of Fer was lower than AFU and TGF-α in diagnosis of AFP lowly expression PHC. The ratio showed AFU better than TGF-α The diagnostic specificity of AFU (64 %) was higher than that of TGF-α (61%) when TGF-α and AFU was at the same diagnostic sensitivity (64 %). Conclusion AFU is more valuable than Fer and TGF-α for negative or AFP lowly expression PHC, meanwhile it has much more accuracy.