Objective To determine the expression of E-cadherin-catenins complex(E-cad,?-cat,?-cat and ?-cat) in early gastric cancer and their relationships with biological characteristics of early gastric cancer by evaluating the invasion and the lymph nodes metastasis of eraly gastric cancer(ECG).Methods 53 cases of EGC,who accepted radical operations from January 1997 to December 2000 in Sir Run Show Hospital were included in this study.According to the invasion depth and lymph nodes metastasis,they were divided into different sub-groups for discussion.Also the normal gastric mucosa of 10 cases with extra-gastric disease were selected as control group.Results All four proteins(E-cad,?-cat,?-cat and ?-cat) were normally expressed in control group.In early gastric cancer,the abnormal expression rates of E-cad,?-cat,?-cat and ?-cat were 64.2%,69.8%,66% and 73.6%,respectively.In the sub-group of mucosal invasion,the abnormal expression rates were 61%(14/23),65.2%(15/23),47.8%(11/23) and 56.5%(13/23),respectively.But in the sub-group of submucosal invasion,the abnormal expression rates were 66.7%(20/30),73.3(22/30)%,80%(24/30) and 86.7%(26/30),respectively.In sub-group of no lymph node metastasis,the abnormal expression rates were 61.4%(27/44),65.9%(29/44),63.6%(28/44) and 70%(31/44) respectively.In sub-group of lymph node metastasis,the abnormal expression rates were 77.8%(7/9),88.9%(8/9),77.8%(7/9) and 88.9%(8/9) respectively.Abnormal expression of ?-cat and ?-cat had significantly difference between the sub-group of mucosal invasion and the submucosal invasion(P