Objective To explore the correlationship of astrocyte elevated gene 1 (AEG1) and expression of E-cadherin (E-cad) protein in esophageal carcinoma, and analyze its relationship with clinical pathological features. Methods Immunohistochemical and Western Blot test methods were used to detect the expression of AEG1 and E-cadherin protein in 58 cases of esophageal carcinoma tissues and its corresponding adjacent tissues. Then we analyzed the relationship of AEG1, E-cadherin and clinicopathologic correlation. Results In 58 cases of esophageal carcinoma tissues, the positive expression rate of AEG1 was 82.7 %; The positive expression rate of AEG1 was 51.7 % in the corresponding adjacent tissues, the positive expression rate of AEG1 in esophageal carcinoma tissues was obviously higher than that in the corresponding adjacent tissues (P < 0.05), and the expression positive rate of AEG1 in esophageal carcinoma tissues was related to differentiated degree, depth of invasion, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05); but no relation with sex, age, tumor site, and pathologic types (P > 0.05); in 58 cases of esophageal carcinoma tissues, the positive expression rate of E-cadherin protein was 31%, the positive expression rate of E-cadherin was 94.8%; the positive expression rate of E-cadherin in esophageal carcinoma tissues was obviously less than that in the corresponding adjacent tissues (P < 0.05); It is related to differentiated degree, depth of invasion, clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05); but no relation with sex, age, tumor site, and pathologic types (P > 0.05); the expression of AEG1 and E-cadherin protein was significantly negative correlation(r = 0.483, P < 0.05). Conclusions The expression of AEG1 and E-cadherin in esophageal carcinoma was characterized by over-expression and loss-expression, and they were closely associated with invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma, AEG1 may be mediated E-cadherin less-expression in esophageal carcinoma.