Abstract:  Serum response factor ( SRF ) is a ubiquitous transcription factor that regulates the expression of a large number of genes, including cancer-related genes  involved in proliferation, migration, differentiation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. The role of SRF in gastric carcinoma remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore whether there is a correlation among SRF, E-cadherin, and β-catenin expression, and to examine the correlations between expression of these proteins and the clinical characteristics of gastric carcinoma. Methods: The immunohistochemical SABC method was used to analyze the expression of SRF, E-cadherin, and β-catenin in 50 cases with gastric carcinoma, 50 cases with paired mucosa at the incisal edges after surgery, and 29 cases with lymph node metastasis. Results: In the gastric carcinoma group, 52% of tumor samples expressed SRF, 56% expressed E-cadherin, and 68% expressed β-catenin protein, and all these levels were significantly higher than in the normal control group ( 16%, 10%, and 18% positive, respectively, P < 0.05 for all comparisons ). There was a correlation between SRF positive status and both the depth of tumor invasion and nodal metastasis ( P < 0.05 ). Aberrant expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin ( ectopic/deletion ) was related to the degree of tumor differentiation, depth of invasion, and lymph node metastasis ( P < 0.05 ). The expression levels of the SRF, E-cadherin, and β-catenin proteins were all higher in the group with nodal metastasis than in patients without metastasis but only the difference in E-cadherin expression reached statistical significance ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion: In gastric cancer, the overexpression of SRF, and the downregulated expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin may be important mechanisms promoting the invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma, and may also play a key role in the occurrence and development of gastric carcinoma.