The plasma renin activity(PRA), plasma aldosterone level and blood volume were studied in 57 patients with cirrhosis of the liver. As a whole, the cirrhotics with ascites showed significant elevations of the PRA, plasma aldosterone(P<0.01) and blood volume(p<0.05) compared to the normal controls and the cirrhotics without ascites. Also noted was that the PRA, aldosterone and blood volume were tended to be increased in those with moderate to severe ascites or esophageal varices or, who responded poorly to diuretics. In the ascitic patients, even with the serum albumin content of 3.0 mg% or more, or with no esophageal varices, the PRA and aldosterone level were elevated. These facts suggested that secondary hyperaldosteronism alone could cause ascites even in the absence of a prominent role played by hypoalbuminemia or portal hypertension. The PRA and aldosterone level were considerably elevated in those with esophageal varices, but their elevations were unremarkable in those with prolonged prothrombin time or hypoalbuminemia. These findings suggested that the PRA and albumin level were more closely related to the hemodynamic factors in the liver than the hepatic functions. In addition, it was postulated that the increased blood volume in the ascitic patients might also result from the expansion of the capacity of visceral and collateral circulation accompanying portal hypertension rather than from the increased effective circulating blood volume. In 18 cases out of 41(44%) with ascites, the PRA and aldosterone level were within normal limits suggesting that some other factors besides secondary hyperaldosteronism contributed the formation of ascites.