Abstract: Objectives: To study the correlation between expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2 protein and clinical-pathological parameters of patients with gallbladder carcinoma. Methods: Carcinomas (n=45) and polypoid lesions (n = 15) of the gallbladder were studied for the expression of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 protein by immunohistochemical avidin-biotin-complex method and image analysis. Results: Expression level of MMP-2 in gallbladder carcinoma was more higher than that in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. There was no correlation between MMP-2 protein expression and histological type, differentiation degree, infiltration level, lymph node involvement or liver invasion, but significant difference was found between the expression of MMP-2 in early stage and advanced tumors. There was no difference in TIMP-2 expression between gallbladder carcinoma and polypoid lesions of the gallbladder. Significant difference was found between TIMP-2 expression and different Bevin stage, infiltration level, local lymph node involvement or liver invasion. Conclusions: TIMP-2 could reflect more accurately biological characteristic of gallbladder carcinoma, and might be a new significant marker in early diagnosis, in the judgment of invasion or metastasis and the estimate of prognosis in patients with gallbladder carcinoma.