摘要OBJECTIVE To screen metastatic-related genes in human gastric cancer by a low-density cDNA microarray technique.METHODS A total of 18 paired gastric cancer and adjacent normal mucosa were examined by a low-density cDNA microarray containing 23genes. RT-PCR was used for further verification.RESULTS The mRNA expression of MMP-7, heparanase, S100A4,hTERT, hRad17 in gastric cancers was higher than that in coupled normal mucosa (P =0.002, 0.00011, 0.000072, 0.002, 0.00016 respectively),whereas nm23H1, and CDH1 were lower (P=0.003, 0.012 respectively).The concordance was verified further by RT-PCR with a correlation coefficient of 0.774. In gastric primary lesions the mRNA expression of MMP-7, heparanase and S100A4 was higher in the serosa involved compared to non-involved (P=0.003, 0.009, 0.012 respectively), whereas nm23H1,CDH1, KAI1 were lower (P=0.001, 0.001, 0.006 respectively). With respect to the area of serosa involvement, MMP-7 and heparanase expressions were higher in an area of more than 20 cm2 compared to an area of less than 20 cm2 (P=0.001, 0.02 respectively), whereas nm23H1,CDH1 and KAI1 were lower (P=0.030, 0.041, 0.031 respectively). MMP-7and hTERT expressions were higher in the heavier lymph node metastatic cases (no less than 7) than in the lighter lymph node metastatic cases(no more than 6, P=0.001, 0.005 respectively).CONCLUSION Expression of MMP-7, S100A4, heparanase, hTERT,KAI1, CDH1 and nm23H1 correlated closely with invasion and metastasis in gastric carcinomas. The low-density cDNA microarrays can be used to examine the expression of many genes simultaneously, parallely and quickly.