Sex hormones and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) have been studied in 32 female post-menopausal patients (16 with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) and 16 with cryptogenic chronic liver disease (CLD). Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) serum levels were significantly higher in PBC compared to CLD subjects (p less than 0.005). In PBC DHEA-S concentration was higher in precirrhotic than in cirrhotic patients (p less than 0.02). SHBG was raised in both PBC and CLD patients but higher in CLD compared to PBC subjects (p less than 0.002). PBC reveals a sex hormone pattern similar to post-menopausal subjects with breast cancer. These results suggest that sex hormone alteration is present in females with different types of liver disease, but the metabolic pattern is not due to liver disease per se.