Objective: To investigate the expressions of chemokine CXCL12 as well as its receptor CXCR4 and CXCR7 in breast cancer tissue and the clinical significance. Methods: The mRNA expressions of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were determined by qRT-PCR method in fresh specimens of breast cancer tissue and their adjacent normal breast tissue from 35 patients. The protein expressions of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 were detected by immunohistochemical staining in 120 paraffin-embedded samples of breast cancer tissue, and the relations of their expressions with clinicopathologic features of breast cancer were analyzed. Results: Results of qRT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression levels of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in breast cancer tissue were all significantly higher than those in adjacent normal breast tissue (all P<0.05). Results of immunohistochemical staining showed that the positive expression rate of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in breast carcinoma tissues was 70.8%, 65.8% and 63.3% respectively, and the positive expression rate of either protein was significantly increased in breast cancer tissue from those with lymph node metastasis or advanced TNM stage (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The high expressions of chemokine CXCL12 as well as its receptor CXCR4 and CXCR7 may be closely associated with the lymph node metastasis and malignant progression of breast cancer.