Abstract: Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 （Trop2） and epithelial mesenchymal transition （EMT）-associated protein E-Cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） tissues. Methods The expression levels of Trop2 and E-Cadherin were detected via immunohistochemical assay in 41 nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues and 24 chronic nasopharyngitis tissues. The correlation between the expression of Trop2 and E-Cadherin and pathological parameters in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients was statistically analyzed. Results The expression of Trop2 protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in chronic nasopharyngitis tissues （P < 0.05）, whereas the low expression rate of E-Cadherin protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly higher compared with that in chronic nasopharyngitis tissues （P < 0.05）. The high expression rate of Trop2 protein in patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ nasopharyngeal carcinoma was remarkably higher and the low expression rate of E-Cadherin protein was significantly higher than those in their counterparts with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the high expression rate of Trop2 protein in patients with lymph node metastasis was considerably higher and the low expression rate of E-Cadherin protein was significantly higher compared with those in their counterparts without lymph node metastasis （all P < 0.05）. The high expression of Trop2 protein was significantly correlated with the low expression of E-Cadherin protein （r = 0.383, P < 0.05）. Conclusions Trop2 and EMT-associated protein E-Cadherin are closely correlated with the incidence, progression, invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Trop2 may promote the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by inhibiting the expression of E-Cadherin protein, leading to the occurrence of EMT.