Abstract: Objective To elucidate the features of Tau mRNA expression in normal gastric tissue and gastric carcinoma tissue. Methods The expression of Tau mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in normal and carcinomatous gastric tissue. Results The expressing quantity of Tau mRNA was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma tissue than that in normal gastric tissue（P<0.05）.The expression of Tau mRNA in well differentiated and moderately differentiated was lower than that in poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma.The expression of Tau mRNA in gastric carcinoma without lymph node metastasis was lower than that in gastric carcinoma with lymph node metastasis (P<0.05).The expression of Tau mRNA of TNM stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ was significantly higher than that of TNM stage I and Ⅱ(P<0.05).Correlations were not found between Tau mRNA and some other characteristics of gastric carcinoma such as age，gender，length of tumor(P＞0.05). Conclusion The higher levels of Tau mRNA of gastric carcinoma was closely related to tumor differentiation degree and metastasis.