The NICD protein was expressed in 67.9% (74/109), 36.8% (21/57), 30.0% (15/50) and 23.5% (4/17) of the gastric cancer, precancerous lesion, chronic superficial gastritis and normal gastric mucosa samples, respectively, suggesting that NICD expression was upregulated in the gastric cancer and premalignant lesions. The gene discussed is NOTCH1; the disease is gastric cancer.