Abstract: To evaluate the significance of the matrix metalloproteinase-2 ( MMP-2 ) and cytokeratin 19 ( CK19 ) expressions in the pelvic lymph nodes of patients with early stage cervical cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining and light microscopy were used to detect the expression of MMP-2 and CK19 in 902 lymph nodes from 64 patients. A routine pathological examination was performed to confirm lymph node metastasis. Results: In the relapse group, 11 of 477 patients had CK19-positive lymph nodes ( 2.3% ); from 8 of 32 patients ( 25% ), 8 were MMP-2 positive ( 1.7% ) from 32 patients in 6 ( 18.8% ), the results of the two test targets are in good agreement.  In the group without recurrence, the 425 lymph nodes from 32 patients showed negative CK19 and MMP-2 expression  ( 0/425 ). The difference between the two protein expressions was statistically significant. CK19 and MMP-2 expression, pathological type, and tissue differentiation were all correlated ( P < 0.05 ). Of the 32 patients in the relapse group, 25 survived while 7 died from cancer. A total of 6 cases exhibited positive CK-19 and MMP-2 expression in the pelvic lymph nodes, indicating that micrometastases, postoperative recurrence, and metastasis were correlated ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion: Compared to traditional histopathological staining, immunohistochemical staining can improve the detection rate for micrometastases. The high MMP-2 expression, CK19 invasion, cervical cancer metastasis, and early cervical cancer detection can be used as biological indicators of lymph node metastasis.