Objective To investigate the expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 9 family, member A1 (ALDH9 A1) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) proteins in patients with meningioma and its clinical significance.Methods Sixty patients with meningioma treated in our hospital from August 2015 to May 2017 were selected as observation group; 60 patients with traumatic brain injury treated in our hospital during the same period were selected as control group. The expression of ALDH9 A1 and ALDH2 proteins in the two groups was measured. The levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and its receptor (IGF-2R) were compared between the two groups. Correlations between the expression of ALDH9 A1 and ALDH2 proteins and the levels of VEGF-A, MMP-9, IGF-2, and IGF-2R in patients with meningioma were analyzed.Results The observation group had significantly higher positive rates of ALDH9 A1 and ALDH2 than the control group (χ²=70.533, P<0.001; χ²=86.724, P<0.001). The observation group had significantly higher expression of VEGF-A and MMP-9 proteins than the control group (t=-16.866, P<0.001; t=-15.162, P<0.001). The observation group had significantly higher positive rates of IGF-2 and IGF-2R than the control group (χ²=101.538, P<0.001; χ²=112.258, P<0.001). The positive rates of ALDH9 A1 and ALDH2 in patients with meningioma were positively correlated with the levels of VEGF-A and MMP-9 and the positive rates of IGF-2 and IGF-2R (r=0.612, P<0.05; r=0.598, P<0.05; r=0.605, P<0.05; r=0.627, P<0.05; r=0.608, P<0.05; r=0.612, P<0.05; r=0.634, P<0.05; r=0.587, P<0.05).Conclusions In patients with meningioma, the positive rates of ALDH9 A1 and ALDH2 proteins are high and are positively correlated with the levels of VEGF-A and MMP-9 and the positive rates of IGF-2 and IGF-2R.