In this study we evaluated the expression of Beclin 1 and of some pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family in liver tissues obtained from chronic liver disease patients in various stages in a cross-sectional study with a view to shedding light on their role in the natural history of chronic liver disease and its progression from chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This evidence concerns the gene BECN1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.