The aim of study is to investigate the expression of hematopoietic cell phosphatase (SHP-1) gene and c-kit pro-oncogene in acute leukemia (AL) and its impact on prognosis in AL. Semi-quantity reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of SHP-1 mRNA and c-kit mRNA in 60 AL patients and 33 normal controls (NC). The results showed that the positive rates of SHP-1 expression from high to low level were found orderly in complete remission group, newly diagnosed group and relapsed group, there was significance difference between each group and NC group (P < 0.05). The positive rates of c-kit expression were opposite order in each groups as compared with SHP-1. there was also significance difference between each group and NC group (P < 0.05). The positive rate of SHP-1 and c-kit expressions in AML was higher than that in ALL (P < 0.05), there was negative correlation between expressions of SHP-1 and c-kit (r = -0.502, P < 0.05); The difference between the complete remission rate in SHP-1 positive and in SHP-1 negative patients from 30 newly diagnosed AML patients was significant (P < 0.05), the same result was found between c-kit(+) complete remission and c-kit(-) complete remission. It is concluded that SHP-1 gene is a potentially anti-oncogene and inhibits the growing of tumor by negatively modulating c-kit gene. Simultaneous detection of SHP-1 and c-kit gene may act as a factor for predicting prognosis in AL.