Diabetes mellitus (DM ) was the third largest chronic disease in the world and the number of patients in China ranked first. Diabetic nephropathy (DN ) as one of the most serious complications of DM was the main cause of death in DM patients along with the incidence of DM gradually increasing. The complex pathogenic mechanism of DN was composed of many factors such as the disorder of glucose metabolism ,inflammation and immune response. Under the special environment of the DM , autoimmunity was an important factor for the occurrence and development of DN. Immune cells ,cytokines and autoantibodies influenced each other resulting in impairment of renal function and affected the progression of DN. Further research on the immune related factors in DN and DM has important value for the prevention and treatment of these diseases.