Glioma is the most common malignant tumor of the brain, which is difficult to be completely resected. The recurrence and mortality rates are high and the prognosis is poor. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of anti-oncogene programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) in glioma and their influence on the progression of the disease in order to provide new therapeutic approaches. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to investigate PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expression in 66 glioma patients who served as the study group and 22 patients who suffered from craniocerebral injuries or hematencephalon who were used as controls. The experimental group was divided into a low malignant group (tumors grade I - II) and a high malignant group (tumor grades III-IV). The PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expression in the experimental group was 0.545±0.202 and 0.687±0.174 and in the control group was 0.942±0.131 and 0.868 ± 0.190, respectively (P less than 0.05). The PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expressions in the low malignant group were 0.628±0.240 and 0.750±0.198, respectively, and in the high malignant group were 0.464±0.185 and 0.553±0.170, respectively (P less than 0.05). The results showed a downregulation of PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expression in the experimental group compared with the control group. This downregulation was correlated with the pathological grade of glioma. In the high malignant group the PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expressions were significantly decreased compared with the low malignant group and the control group. PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expressions are promising targets for the diagnosis and treatment of glioma.