The expression of CXCL12 in lymph node and liver metastasis was higher than that in primary gastric cancer tissues (<i>χ</i><sup>2</sup> = 6.669, <i>P</i> = 0.010; <i>χ</i><sup>2</sup> = 25379, <i>P</i> = 0.000), and the expression of CXCL12 in lymph node and liver metastasis of gastric cancer was consistent with the positive expression of CXCR7 in primary gastric cancer (<i>r</i> = 0.338, <i>P</i> = 0.000; <i>r</i> = 0.629, <i>P</i> = 0.000).