OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of transcription factors Snail,Slug and cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)and evaluate their relationship with clinical pathological features and metastases.METHODS Immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were carried out to detect the expression of Snail,Slug and E-cadherin in 65 NPC samples and normal nasopharyngeal mucosa(18 cases).The expression of Snail and Ecadherin in distinct differentiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma was analyzed and the relationship of them with clinical pathological features was discussed.RESULTS Real-time PCR analysis and immunohistochemistry showed that Slug was elevated with increasing tumor grade.E-cadherin expression was reduced corresponding with prognostic indices and tumor.Snail showed no obvious change.The relative expression levels of E-cadherin mRNA were significantly different between lymph node metastasis group and nometastasis group(P