AIM: To investigate the relationship between corneal neovascularization(CNV) and the expression of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cornea of rats after alkaline burn. METHODS: CNV model was established by alkaline cauterization of the central cornea of Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. At the different time points, morphologic changes in CNV were observed with slit-lamp microscope, and the expression of ILK and VEGF in cornea was detected by immunohistochemical method and computer image analysis. RESULTS: ILK and VEGF were lowly expressed in epithelium of cornea in the control group, and strongly expressed in epithelium, endothelium and the endothelium cells of CNV in the experiment group (P<0.01). The expression of ILK and VEGF in cornea after alkaline burn, increased within the 3^rdth day, reached the peak within the 7^th-10th day, and decreased after the 14^th day. The CNV in cornea after alkaline burn was found on the 3^rd day, increased on the 5^th day, reached the peak of area within the 7^th-10^th day, and decreased after the ^14th day. The expression of ILK and VEGF showed positive correlation at different time points (r=0.926，P<0.01). And they were positively related to CNV (ILK and area of CNV, r=0.900, P<0.01; VEGF and area of CNV, r=0.878, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: ILK and VEGF were expressed significantly in cornea of rats after alkaline burn. And they involved in the regulation of CNV.