AIM: This study is aimed at investigating the expression and possible significances of very low-density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) subtypes in gastroenteric adenocarcinoma tissues and cells with various differentiations. METHODS: Thirty-one cases of gastroenteric carcinoma/ adjacent normal tissues were enrolled in the study, which were diagnosed and classified by the clinicopathological diagnosis. The expression of VLDLR subtypes was detected in gastroenteric carcinoma/adjacent normal tissues and three various differentiated human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines (MKN28, SGC7901 and MKN45) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and West blot analysis.RE,SULTS: Two VLDLR subtypes, namely, type Ⅱ VLDLR and type Ⅰ VLDLR, were found to express changes in gastroenteric carcinoma tissues, their adjacent normal tissue, and gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines as well. Type Ⅱ VLDLR is predominantly expressed in poorly- or moderately-differentiated gastroenteric carcinoma tissues and gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines, whereas type ⅠVLDLR is mainly detected in well-differentiated intestinal carcinoma tissues and gastric adenocarcinoma cells compared with the adjacent normal tissues. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the variations of the VLDLR subtype expression might be correlated with the progress and differentiation of gastroenteric carcinoma.