ObjectiveTo study the serum transforming growth factorβ1 (TGF-β1) and interleukin-23 (IL-23) expression in the patients with chronic gastric ulcer or gastric cancer, and to investigate the clinical value of TGF-β1 and IL-23 on the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer. MethodsThe serum levels of TGF-β1 and IL-23 in cancer group (83 cases), gastric ulcer group (184 cases), and control group (58 cases) were detected by using ELISA assay method. The difference of serum TGF-β1 and IL-23 levels in patients with gastric cancer with different pathological parameters were compared. ResultsThe serum levels of TGF-β1〔(15.96±3.92) ng/mL〕and IL-23〔(645.25±234.18) ng/mL〕in gastric cancer group were higher than those of the gastric ulcer group〔(10.10±3.58) ng/mL, (496.10±108.32) ng/mL〕and normal control group〔(9.87±2.86) ng/mL, (372.75±89.27) ng/mL〕, the difference were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The levels of serum TGF-β1 in gastric cancer patients of stageⅠ-Ⅱ, ⅢandⅣwere successively increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The levels of serum TGF-β1 in poorly differentiated gastric cancer or with lymph node metastasis patients were higher than those in high-middle differentiation or without lymph node metastasis patients, the difference were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference in the levels of serum TGF-β1 between different tumor diameter and different location (P > 0.05). The level of serum IL-23 in patients with stageⅠ-Ⅱwas higher than that in stageⅢandⅣ, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Ther were no significant difference in serum IL-23 levels between the different degree of differentiation, lymph node metastasis or not, different tumor diameter and different location of the tumor (P > 0.05). ConclusionTGF-β1 and IL-23 have important reference value in judging the stage and malignancy degree of gastric cancer.