Objective: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and their relations with the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of ICC patients. Methods: The surgical specimens including tumor and tumor-adjacent tissue from 50 ICC patients treated between January 2011 and December 2014 were collected. The MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions in these tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR method, and the relations of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions with clinicopathologic variables and postoperative survival of ICC patients were analyzed. Results: Results of immunohistochemical staining showed that the positive expression rate of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in ICC tissue was 34.0% and 32.0% respectively, but neither was positive in tumor-adjacent tissue; results of RT-PCR showed that both relative expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in ICC tissue were significantly higher than those in tumor-adjacent tissue (both P<0.05). Both MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions were significantly associated with the presence or absence of lymph node metastasis and degree of tumor differentiation of ICC patients (all P<0.05), but were irrelevant to the gender, age and tumor stage of ICC patients (all P>0.05); the survival rate in patients with positive MMP-2 or MMP-9 expression was significantly lower than that in patients with negative MMP-2 or MMP-9 expression, and those with both MMP-2 and MMP-9 positive expressions had lowest survival rate (all P<0.05). Conclusion: MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions are increased in ICC tissue, and both expressions are closely related to the malignant clinicopathologic profiles and poor prognosis of ICC patients.