Objective To analyze the expression of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and their correlation with tumor markers in patients with primary liver cancer(PLC).Methods Eighty-two primary liver cancer patients admitted to Zhengzhou Longhai Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 were selected as the liver cancer group,50 healthy medical checkups were selected as the control group,and 50 patients with benign liver disease were selected as the benign group during the same period,and the clinical data of the enrolled patients were analyzed retrospectively,and all of them were tested for tumor markers and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations,and the levels of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and tumor markers of the various groups were compared and analyzed.The correlation between lymphocyte subpopulations and tumor markers in PLC patients was analyzed.Results The levels of CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+in the hepatocellular carcinoma group were lower than those in the control group and benign group,and the levels of CD8+were higher than those in the control group and benign group(P<0.05);the levels of CEA,AFU and AFP in the benign group and hepatocellular carcinoma group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05);the levels of CEA,AFU and AFP in the hepatocellular carcinoma group were higher than those in the benign group(P<0.05);correlation analysis showed that CD3+,CD4+,CD4+/CD8+were negatively correlated with CEA,AFU and AFP,and CD8+was positively correlated with CEA,AFU and AFP(P<0.05).Conclusion PLC patients have higher levels of CD8+in peripheral blood,which are positively correlated with tumor markers,while lower levels of CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+are negatively correlated with tumor markers.