Objective To evaluate the effect of acarbose on the circulating concentration of inflammatory factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). Methods Total 118 patients with T2DM who did not take acarbose before enrollment within 4 weeks were recruited by a randomizing formula into 2 groups ( group A and B). 57 healthy subjects were included into group C as control. After excluding those of inadequate samples, 57 patients with T2DM were enrolled into group A in which acarbose was prescribed 50 mg three times a day, 59 patients with T2DM were enrolled into group B in which acarbose was not given and other hypoglycemic approaches were similar to group A. Serum samples at the time of enrollment and at the end of 4 weeks intervention were collected and stored in refrigerator at -80℃ until analysis. Analysis of biochemical indexes was performed in central lab of the institution,inflammatory factors were determined with commercial ELISA kits. Results (1) The metabolic indexes were significantly decreased after intervention in two diabetic groups. (2) The baseline levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α( TNF-α), prothrombin activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), high sensitive C reactive protein ( hs-CRP), and advanced glycation index (AGI) in diabetic patients were significantly higher than in group C MCP-1 [( 463.4± 187.1 vs 267.1 ± 158.3 ) pg/ml, TNF-α( 12.07 ± 19.59 vs 4.18 ±3.03 ) pg/ml, PAI-1 ( 2.47 ± 1.87 vs 1.38 ± 2.37 )ng/ ml, LPS ( 130.6 ± 128.5 vs 29.39 ± 17.93 ) pg/ml, hsCRP(4.25 ±2.29 vs 2.11 ± 1.07 ) μg/ml, AGI (3.78 ± 2.61 vs 0. 74 ± 0. 15 ) AU, all P ＜ 0. 05]. (3) Repeated measurement ANOVA analysis showed that after four weeks of intervention, MCP-1 [F( 1,106 ) = 19. 830, P＜0.001],LPS[F(1,106)=7.815, P＜0.01], PAI-1 [F(1,106)= 7.792, P＜0.01], TNF-α[F(1,106=24. 656, P=0.001 )] ,AGI[F( 1,106)= 12. 971 ,P=0. 01] decreased significantly in group A than in group B. Although hsCRP decreased in both group A and group B, but the trend was not different [F( 1,102 )= 0. 915, P = 0. 342].Conclusion The levels of inflammatory factors were elevated in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which could be mostly reduced by acarbose.