AIM: To investigate homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2(HIPK2) gene expression level and its clinical significance in acute leukemia(AL) patients.METHODS: HIPK2 mRNA was determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(semi-quantitive RT-PCR) in patients with acute leukemia and healthy donors.The relative transcription level was compared between the study group and the control group.RESULTS: ① The relative expression level of HIPK2 mRNA in AL patients was 0.364?0.286,significantly lower than that in control(1.160?0.272,P0.05).CONCLUSION: AL has significantly lower HIPK2 mRNA expression as compared to normal control,which may be associated with leukemogenesis and/or disease progression of AL.