Objective To investigate the expression of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) in chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) with intestinal metaplasia and discuss its effect on gastric cancer.Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of EBV-LMP1 in 45 cases of chronic superficial gastritis(CSG),63 cases of CAG with intestinal metaplasia and 36 cases of gastric cancer.Results There was no expression of EBV-LMP1 in CSG and gastric cancer,while the positive rate of EBV-LMP1 in CAG with intestinal metaplasia was 36.5％ (23/63) and EBV-LMP1 was mainly stained in the cell nucleus.The expression of EBV-LMP1 in CAG with intestinal metaplasia was significantly higher than that in CSG and gastric cancer,and there was significant difference (P =0.000).Conclusions EBV-LMP1 is expressed in CAG with intestinal metaplasia.The expression of EBV-LMP1 is significantly higher than that in CSG and gastric cancer indicating that EBV infection in gastric carcinogenesis may play an important role in the early stages.