We studied p53 gene at the DNA and protein level in human gastric cancer tissues and corresponding normal gastric mucosae from 20 cases of patients undergone radical surgery. By Southern blotting, the p53 gene was found to be partially deleted in 30% (6/20) of gastric cancer tissues. ABC immunohistochemical study of p53 expression was carried out on cryostat sections using monoclonal antibodies (PAb 1801) to p53. High level expression of mutated p53 protein was detected in 55% (11/20) gastric cancer tissues. The staining pattern was intranuclear and/or intracytoplamic. There was no detectable staining of any of the normal gastric tissues with 1801 antibody. The positive rate of p53 overexpression was higher in poorly-differenciated glandular carcinomas than well-differenciated cancer (P = 0.0116). Highly significant association exists between high level p53 expression and allele deletion (r = 0.59). The date indicate that inactivation of p53 gene is important in human gastric carcinogenesis and tumor progression. The assay of p53 gene structure and products may provide new biologically relevant tumor marks for predicting the behavior of gastric carcinomas, identifying more aggressive tumors, determining prognosis of the patients and guiding treatment.