Objective To investigate the expression of transcription factor e2f-1 in the different development stages of gastric cancer, the relationships between clinicopathologic characteristics and e2f-1 expression status, as well as its influences on the prognosis. Methods The operative samples from primary lesion of 121 patients who underwent radical resection for gastric cancer were detected by SABC immunohistochemical staining. The relationships of e2f-1 expression with clinicopathologic characteristics and with the prognosis were observed by univariate, multivariate and relative analyses. Results The total positive expression rate of e2f-1 in all patients was 38.8% （47/121）. With the advancement of gastric cancer, the level of e2f-1 expression in TNMⅠ-Ⅳ stage was gradually decreased (r=－0.320， Plt;0.05)： Ⅰa stage with 62.5% （10/16）， Ⅰb with 47.1% （8/17）， Ⅱwith 55.0% （11/20）， Ⅲa with 40.0% （8/20）， Ⅲb with 27.3% （6/22）， Ⅳ with 15.4% （4/26）. The expression of e2f-1 was significantly negative correlated with tumor diameter, depth of infiltration, lymph node metastasis ratio, and N stage （Plt;0.05）. The multivariate analysis revealed that either histology type, or survival time was respectively an independent factor for e2f-1 expression （Plt;0.05）. Log-Rank test showed the relative factors to survival included N stage, tumor diameter, tumor position, lymph node metastasis ratio, depth of infiltration, and TNM stage （Plt;0.05）. Cox survival analysis found that both of later N stage and e2f-1 higher expression were independent prognostic factors （Plt;0.05）. The higher e2f-1 expression was related to a poor survival in TNM stageⅠand Ⅱ patients （r=－0.304, Plt;0.05）, the prognosis of patients with e2f-1 positive expression was worse than that of patients with negative expression （χ2=13.437， Plt;0.05）, and there was no statistic relationship between the expression of e2f-1 and prognosis in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ patients （Pgt;0.05）. Conclusions e2f-1, as a useful marker, seems to be an indication for the malignant behavior in relatively earlier gastric cancer, in which the e2f-1 positive expression shares a significantly poor survival. And the lower expression of e2f-1 has been identified in later advanced gastric cancer, the more malignances in advanced gastric cancer might associate with a lower expression of e2f-1.