Objective To investigate the expression of E26 transformation-specific-1（E26ts-1），matrix metalloproteinase-1（MMP-1）and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 （TIMP-1） in choroidal melanoma and the correlation with the tumorprime;s infiltration and metastasis. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of E26ts-1，MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in 78 cases of choroidal melanoma who were divided into shuttle-cells，paraepithelial-cells and mixed-cells type according to the configuration of tumor cells.The patients were followed up and their average existing time was calculated.The results were statistically computed with statistic SPSS 10.0 package. Results In the 78 cases，shuttle-cells type was found in 21，paraepithelial-cells type in 34，and mixed-cells type in 23. Expression of TIMP-1was low in uveal melanoma，while expression of E26ts-1 and MMP-1 was obviously found in the three types of choroidal melanoma;the sequence of expression intensity was shuttle-cells，mixed-cells and paraepithelial-cells type.Among 37 cases who had been followed up，the shuttle-cells type was in 18 with the average existing time of （78.33plusmn;24.69）months，the mixed-cells type was in 10 with the average existing time of（61.44plusmn;20.46）months，and the paraepithelial-cells type was in 9 with the average existing time of（36.76plusmn;12.19）months.The existing time was negative correlated with the intensity of expresion of E26ts-1 and MMP-1. Conclusion The high expression of E26ts-1 and MMP-1and low expression of TIMP-1may relate to the choroidal melanomaprime;s infiltration and metastasis. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2006, 22: 174-176)