Abstract: Objective To observe the correlation between the levels of interferon regulatory factor 1(IRF1), interferon regulatory factor 8(IRF8) and carotid atherosclerosis(CAS) in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy(T2DN). 
Methods A total of 149 eligible patients with T2DN treated were selected as the research subjects, and the baseline data of patients at admission were collected. The levels of serum markers ［C-reactive protein(CRP), fibrinogen(FIB)］, IRF1 and IRF8 were detected, and all patients received 6 months of treatment. All patients underwent color Doppler ultrasound examination at 6 months after treatment, and the patients were evaluated for CAS. According to the evaluation results of CAS, the patients were divided into the CAS group and the non-CAS group. Multivariate regression analysis was used to examine the risk factors of CAS in T2DN patients, and the receiver operating curve(ROC) was drawn to analyze the predictive efficacy of serum markers, IRF1 and IRF8 levels on CAS in patients with T2DN. 
Results At 6 months after treatment, color Doppler ultrasound examination showed that among 149 cases of patients with T2DN, 68 cases had CAS, and the incidence was 45.64%. After preliminary comparison of baseline data of patients with and without CAS, regression analysis results showed that the up-regulation of CRP, FIB, IRF1 and IRF8 expression at admission was related to the occurrence of CAS in T2DN patients, which might be a risk factor of CAS in T2DN patients(OR＞1, P＜0.05).  Area under curve(AUC) of CRP, FIB, IRF1 and IRF8 levels in predicting CAS in T2DN patients at admission was all >0.80, which had certain predictive value. 
Conclusion The risk of CAS in patients with T2DN is high. The levels of CRP, FIB, IRF1 and IRF8 are risk factors of CAS in T2DN. The up-regulated expression of each index may indicate a high risk of CAS of patients, of which IRF1 and IRF8 levels can be used as an important auxiliary means to predict CAS in patients with T2DN.

Key words: diabetic nephropathie, interferon regulatory factor 1, C-reactive protein