Objective To investigate the relationship between the serum ghrelin level and β-cell function after treatment of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods 34 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into three groups of pre-treatment(DM0),two weeks after treatment(DM1)and six months after treatment(DM2).Intravenous glucose tolerance tests(IVGTT)were performed and blood glucose,HbA1C,ghrelin,insulin were measured during the study.Insulin sensitivity was assessed by homeostasis model assessment(HOMA).Results(1)Compared with DM0 group,beta-cell function and the mean AUC of insulin were dramatically improved in groups of DM1 and DM2(all P<0.05).(2)Compared with DM1 and DM2,ghrelin levels and the mean AUC of ghrelin in DM0 groups were lower(all P<0.05).(3)Only positive correlation between ghrelin and HOMA-β(r=0.446,P<0.05),and negative correlations of ghrelin with glucose(r=-0.274,P<0.05),insulin(r=-0.35,P<0.05)and BMI(r=-0.276,P<0.05)were found after six months of treatment.Conclusions Ghrelin might play an important role in the pathogenesis and progress of type 2 diabetes mellitus.