Abstract: In recent years, the prevalence of diabetes has increased rapidly, and which has become a serious public health problem worldwide. Diabetic nephropathy is a major cause of end-stage renal failure, which is also one of the most common chronic complication of diabetes. However, the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic nephropathy has not been fully elucidated up to now. IL-17 plays a key role in autoimmune disease and inflammatory disease. This article reviews the role of IL-17 in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.

Key words: diabetes mellitus, type 1, diabetes mellitus, type 2, diabetic nephropathy, interleukin-17, Th17