Abstract: Objective To investigate the relation between clinical characteristics and ezrin protein、 ezrin mRNA expression in renal cell carcinoma. Methods Among a collection of 80 cases of renal cell carcinoma and 40 cases of corresponding adjacent normal renal tissue,the expression of ezrin was detected by tissue microarray and Immunohistochemical staining.Meanwhile the expression of ezrin mRNA was assayed by RT-PCR among 50 cases of renal cell carcinoma out of them and 40 cases of corresponding adjacent normal renal tissue. Results ezrin protein expression was localized in the cell cytoplasm and membrane.The expression of ezrin protein showed a significant difference between the renal cell carcinoma（95%,76/80)and the normal renal tissue（ 75%,30 /40 )（χ²=10.350，P=0.002), the positive rate of ezrin mRNA in the renal cell carcinoma(82%,41/50）were significantly higher than that in the normal renal tissue (62.5%,25/40)（χ²=4.321，P=0.038). The mean weighted ezrin score of ezrin immunostaining and the positive rate of ezrin mRNA in the group of lymph node metastasis were higher than those without lymph node metastasis (9.500±2.502 vs. 7.232±3.045, 13/14 vs. 16/36,respectively,P<0.05). The mean weighted ezrin score of ezrin immunostaining and the positive rate of ezrin mRNA in the group of tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava （IVC） were higher than those without tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava (9.315±3.027 vs. 7.563±2.991,14/14 vs. 22/36,respectively,P<0.05). There was no correlation between the expression of ezrin protein,ezrin mRNA and age,gender,TNM stage,size,histological grade and histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma（P>0.05). Conclusion The expression of ezrin protein and mRNA in the renal cell carcinoma is over-expression,and the expression of its degree were correlated with the status of lymph metastasis,tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava （IVC）;ezrin may be involved in the occurrence,invasion and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma,therefore it could possibly be a useful tumor marker in clinical oncology.