Objective To investigate the clinical significance of the expression of microvessel density and adhesion molecules in the tissue of chronic gastritis and gastric cancer. Methods Fifty-six patients with chronic superficial gastritis (chronic superficial gastritis group), 55 cases of gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis (gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group) and 57 patients with gastric cancer and lymph node metastasis (gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group) were included in this study. Gastric pathology paraffin blocks was studied using immunohistochemical Envision method. Microvessel density CD34 and cell adhesion molecule Syndecan-1 expression was examined. In 112 gastric cancer patients, 47 patients were highly differentiated, and 65 patients were poorly differentiated. Results Microvessel density CD34 results:in chronic superficial gastritis group was (13 ± 10)/HP,in gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group was (27 ± 11 VHP, in gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group was (28 ± 10)/HP. There were significant differences between chronic superficial gastritis group and gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group,and between chronic superficial gastritis group and gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group (t = 7.044,7.908, P ＜0.05), but there was no significant difference between gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group and gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group (t = 0.506,P ＞ 0.05). In chronic superficial gastritis group, gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group and gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group, Syndecan-1 positive expression ratewas 96.43%(54/56),45.45%(25/55),24.56%(14/57),and there was significant difference between chronic superficial gastritis group and gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group,and between chronic superficial gastritis group and gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group (x2 = 163.560,17.197,P＜ 0.01). There was significant difference between gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis group and gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis group (x2 = 5.340, P ＜ 0.05). Conclusions Microvessel density is related with the occurrence of gastric cancer;adhesion molecule Syndecan-1 expression reduces the incidence of gastric cancer development, and might further promote the metastasis of gastric cancer. Detecting the expression changes of microvessel density CD34 and cell adhesion molecule Syndecan-1 facilitates the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.