Abstract:【Objective】 To investigate the change of serum nesfatin-1 in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy. 【Methods】 A total of 115 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into three groups according to the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR): normal albuminuria group (NA group) with 38 cases, micro-albuminuria group (MA group) with 39 cases and macro-albuminuria group (CP group) with 38 cases; and 40 healthy subjects were included as controls. Serum level of nesfatin-1 was assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting plasma insulin (FINS), HbA1c, lipids, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels together with ACR were also determined. 【Results】 Serum nesfatin-1 level in the diabetic patients was significantly lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05); the lowest level was in the CP group which was significantly different from those in the groups NA and MA (P < 0.05). The levels of nesfatin-1 were negatively correlated with systolic pressure, HOMA-IR, Scr, ACR and CRP (r = -0.243, -0.486, -0.374, -0.228 and -0.219, P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that HOMA-IR, Scr and ACR were independent related factors to the serum nesfatin-1 (r =0.352, 0.264 and 0.225). Control the effect of HOMA-IR, partial correlation analysis showed that serum nesfatin-1 and other parameters were not significantly correlated (P > 0.05). 【Conclusions】 Serum nesfatin-1 level in diabetic patients is significantly lower than that in health controls, and it is the lowest in the patients with macro-albuminuria. The decrease of serum nesfatin-1 level could be associated with increased insulin resistance.