Hypoxic microenvironment is a common phenomenon of liver diseases and runs through the whole process of the development and progression of liver diseases.In recent years,the research on liver fibrosis and hypoxic microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma has attracted more and more attention.Hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF) is the most important hypoxic stress factor found at present.This article reviews the characteristics of hypoxic microenvironment in the liver and liver diseases and further elaborates on the association of HIF overexpression with hepatocyte damage,formation of fibrosis,and malignant transformation of hepatocytes.