Abstract: Objective:To study the diagnosis value of combined detection with Monoclone antibodies of micrometastases of the lymph nodes in patients with gastric carcinoma.Methods:We studied 385 negative lymph nodes removed during surgery for 65 cases of gastric carcinoma.Four consecutive sections were newly prepared from every negative lymph nodes for hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining(IHC) with antibody against Cytokeratin19,Epithelial membrane antigen and Carbohydrate antigen724,respectively.Associations between clinicopathologic factors,the presence of micrometastases as well as micrometastases and survival were sought.Results:Micrometastases were identified in 17 of 65 patients(26.2%) and in 33 of 385 lymph nodes(8.6%) by IHC.The incidence of micrometastases was significantly higher in patients with diffuse type(12 of 35 cases,34.3%)then intestinal type(5 of 30 cases,16.7%,P<0.01).The presence of micrometastases was closely correlated with invasion depath of primary tumor.The 5-year survival rate after surgery was 65.3% and 87.4%,in patients with and without micrometastases(P=0.012),respectively.Other clinicopathologic findings had no statistically significant correlation with the incidence of micrometastases.Conclusion:The combined detection with Monoclone antibodies of lymph node micrometastases was useful to more accurately determine the clinical staging,prognosis and postoperation treatment with node-negative gastric carcinoma.