Objective To clarify the role of gastrokine 1 in the process of formation and development of gastric cancer. Methods The expressions of gastrokine 1 in gastric cancer and paracancerous tissues of 52 patients with gastriccancer were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile the relationship of the expression level of gastrokine 1 with clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Results The expression levels of gastrokine 1 gene and protein in the gastric cancer tissues were significantly lower than those in the paracancerous tissues (P<0.01). No significant relationship was found between expression of gastrokine 1 gene and clinicopathologic features including tumor location, depth of invasion, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, gender, age, and preoperative peripheral blood CEA and CA19-9 levels (P>0.05,respectively). What’s more, the expression level of gastrokine 1 gene in gastric cancer tissues of Helicobacter pylori (HP)-positive patients was lower than that in the negative ones (P<0.05). Conclusions Gastrokine 1 may play a significant role as an anti-oncogene in the process of the formation and development of gastric cancer. Its effect may become weak due to HP infection in gastric cancer patients.