ABSTRACT: The correlation between the variations in the polymorphic sites of survivin, rs9904341C/G and rs8073069C/G, and the pathogenesis of acute leukemia, as well as the guiding significance in clinical practice were investigated. We enrolled a total of 182 children with acute leukemia and 200 healthy children as the subjects. In accordance with the case-control method, the polymerase chain reaction was carried out for genetic typing of the two polymorphic sites, rs9904341C/G and rs8073069C/G. In the case group and the healthy group, the frequencies of C and G alleles in rs9904341C/G of survivin were 59.3 and 41.7%, and 46.7 and 50.3%, respectively, and the pairwise comparison showed statistically significant differences (P=0.008). Additionally, the frequencies of genotypes, C/C, C/G and G/G, were 38.5 and 41.7%; 19.8 and 26.5%; 16.5 and 27.0% in the case group and the healthy group, respectively, and the differences in comparisons showed statistical significance (P=0.033). The genotype frequency of C/C in the case group was 38.5%, significantly higher than that in the healthy group (26.5%). Compared with C/C, the risk coefficient of leukemia in patients with genotypes of C/G or G/G was significantly decreased. In the case group and the healthy group, the frequencies of C and G alleles in rs8073069C/G of survivin were 30.5 and 69.5%; 27.7 and 72.3%, respectively, and the pairwise comparison showed no statistically significant differences (P=0.404). Additionally, the frequencies of genotypes, C/C, C/G and G/G, were 11 and 39.0%; 50.0 and 9.0%; 37.5 and 53.5% in the case group and the healthy group, respectively, and the differences in comparisons showed no statistical significance (P=0.62). Compared with the genotype of C/C, we found that the risk of leukemia was not affected in patients with genotypes of C/G and G/G. In conclusion, the SNP of rs9904341C/G in survivin may be correlated with the risk of acute leukemia, and compared with C/C genotype, patients with C/G or G/G may have a decreased risk of acute leukemia. In survivin, rs8073069C/G may have no correlation with the risk of acute leukemia.