Abstract: The epithelisl marker expression of 78 paratumorous epithelium in NPC was studied immunohistoch emically using a Panel of antieqes against CEA, EMA and a variety of different molecularweight cytokeratins. The results indicated that the epithelial marker expression was different between reserve cells in columnar epithelium and hasal cells in squamous epithelium. During sqauamous metaplastic proce88 of nasopharyngeal. columnar epithelium, at the first, reserve cells ofcolumnar epithelium began proliferating and transforming to "hasal cells" of squamous metaplasticepitbe hum. Then, on the one hand, the "hasal cells, differentisted and developed prodotninantlyinto squa-mous epithelium according as differentiating program of normal squamous epithelium, onthe other hand, the "hasal cells" remained still some differentiating characteres of reserve cells in colutnnar epithelium. So, there was a lot of difference between squamous metaplsstic epithelium andnormal liuing Squamous epithelium in epithelial marker expression.