ObjectiveTo systematically review the association between expression of osteopontin (OPN) and Chinese population with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its clinical pathological characteristics. MethodsSuch databases including CBM, CNKI, VIP and WanFang Data were searched from inception to July 2014, for studies about the association between expression of OPN and Chinese population with HCC and its clinical pathological characteristics. Two reviewers independently screened literature according to the exclusion and inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality of included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.2 software. ResultsA total of 10 case-control studies (involving 723 HCC cases and 102 controls) were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that:OPN expression was higher in HCC group than normal control group (OR=10.25, 95%CI 6.13 to17.14); and higher in imperfect capsular infiltration group than perfect capsular infiltration group (OR=2.71, 95%CI 1.58 to 4.64). However, no significant difference was found in OPN expression between isolated tumour group and multiple tumours group (OR=0.95, 95%CI 0.56 to 1.62); between high differentiation group and low differentiation group (OR=0.60, 95%CI 0.36 to 1.01); and between clinical stages I-Ⅱ group and clinical stages Ⅲ-IV group (OR=0.93, 95%CI 0.53 to 1.63). ConclusionCurrent evidence shows that OPN may take part in the whole course (occurrence and advance) of HCC in Chinese population, but the problem whether it can be used as a factor to evaluate prognosis needs to be further studied.