Abstract: Objective To analyze the changes of inflammatory factors in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and their correlation with nerve conduction velocity. 
Methods A total of 114 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) admitted to the First People′s Hospital of Lianyungang City were selected and divided into T2DM group (n=34) and DPN group (n=80)according to the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Form. The patient′s general information was collected, and glucose related indexes［fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 h postprandial blood glucose (2 hPG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)］, inflammatory factors［tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-10 (IL-10), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1)］, and nerve conduction velocity (motor and sensory conduction velocity of median nerve and peroneal nerve) were detected. The general information, inflammatory factors and nerve conduction velocity of the two groups of patients were compared. The correlation between inflammatory factors and nerve conduction velocity and the influencing factors of nerve conduction abnormalities were analyzed. 
Results The course of disease, FPG, 2 hPG, HbA1c, TNF-α, and MIP-1α in the DPN group were higher than those in the T2DM group, while the motor and sensory conduction velocity of IL-1β, IL-10, median nerve and peroneal nerve were lower than those in the T2DM group (P＜0.05). IL-1β was positively correlated with motor and sensory conduction velocity of median nerve and peroneal nerve (P＜0.05), whereas TNF-α and MIP-1α are negatively correlated with motor and sensory conduction velocity of median nerve and peroneal nerve (P＜0.05). Course of disease, HbA1c, and TNF-α were influencing factors of motor conduction velocity of median nerve(P＜0.05), and age, TNF-α and HbA1c were the influencing factors of conduction abnormalities of median nerve and peroneal nerve (P＜0.05). 
Conclusion The nerve conduction of DPN patients is closely related to the changes of TNF-α, MIP-1α, and IL-1β. 

Key words: diabetic neuropathies, inflammation, neural conduction ,