To analyse the relationship between the presence of liver cirrhosis and hepatic inflammation and the serum concentrations of the aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen type III (P-III-NP) and of hyaluronic acid (HA) in chronic liver disease, we measured P-III-NP and HA concentrations in paired serum samples from 133 patients with various chronic liver diseases, from 22 patients with acute hepatitis and from 50 healthy age-matched controls. In 24 (of the 133) patients with autoimmune chronic liver disease, follow-up determination was performed during therapeutic treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Compared with controls P-III-NP concentrations (medians) were significantly elevated in 65% of patients with chronic active hepatitis (P = 0.00097) and in 79% of patients with active liver cirrhosis (P = 0.0126) but not in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (P = 0.06). Serum concentrations (medians) of HA were increased (P = 0.0058) in 32% of patients with chronic active hepatitis and in 91% of patients with active cirrhosis (P less than 6 x 10(-7)). The difference of HA serum concentrations but not that of P-III-NP serum concentrations in patients with chronic active hepatitis and in patients with active cirrhosis was statistically significant. HA and P-III-NP serum concentrations were significantly elevated in 22 patients with acute hepatitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)