OBJECTIVE To investigate the role and clinicopathological significance of RECK and MMP-2 expressions in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS We collected 57 samples of ESCC tissue and 57 samples of corresponding normal esophageal epithelium tissues in Henan Cancer Hospital. The expression of RECK and MMP-2 was detected with tissue array and immunohistochemistry. Chi-square test and Spearman corrilation analysis were used to analyze the results. RESULTS The positive rate of MMP-2 protein expression in cancer tissues was 42.1% (24/57), higher than in normal esophageal epithelia 19.3% (11/57), with a significant difference (chi(2) = 6.968, P < 0.05). For ESCC, a difference was not found in MMP-2 expression among patients with different degree of differentiation and different depth of invasion. The expression levels of RECK in ESCC tissues and normal esophageal epithelia were 36.8% (21/57) and 61.4% (35/57), respectively, with a significant difference (chi(2) = 6.879, P < 0.05). For ESCC, the expression level of RECK was not related to the degree of differentiation, depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). For ESCC patients, the expression rates of RECK and MMP-2 were not correlated with age or gender. CONCLUSIONS The abnormal expression level of the RECK and MMP-2 protein may play an important role in carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous carcinoma. Decreased expression of RECK and increased expression of MMP-2 may be correlated with the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma development, but there is no connection observed between the expression of MMP-2 and RECK.