Objective       To determine the clinical significance of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in diabetic patients and determine their role in the diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy.       Methods      A total of 126 patients of type 2 diabetes in our department from Janu

ary 2010 to January 2012 were recruited in this study

and 20 healthy subjects were subjected as normal control. Their serum levels of VCAM-1

MIF and creatinine

urine creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in diabetic patients were measured and calculated. VCAM-1 and MIF levels from different groups were compared and the correlation of MIF and VCAM-1 with urinary albumin/creatinine and eGFR was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.       Results      Serum levels of VCAM-1 and MIF were significantly higher in diabetic patients than the healthy control (

P

0.05)

and the higher the urinary albumin/creatinine

the higher VCAM-1 and MIF levels were (

P

0.05). Serum levels of VCAM-1 and MIF showed a significant negative correlation with eGFR (

r

2

=0.240 5

r

2

=0.516 2

P

0.05)

a positive correlation with urinary albumin/creatinine (

r

2

=0.069 5

r

2

=0.059 5

P

0.05); The changes of VCAM-1 and MIF levels compared with the levels in 1 year later showed a negative correlation with changes in eGFR (

r

2

=0.048 2

r

2

=0.071 7

P

0.05).       Conclusion      Serum levels of VCAM-1 and MIF are elevated in the patients with diabetes or diabetic nephropathy

and the levels provide a certain reference value for the diagnosis of diabetes and kidney disease.