Aim To investigate the relationgship between serum advanced oxidation protein products(AOPP)and atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods 90 T2DM patients and 60 healthy controls were enrolled.Serum levels of stromal cell-derived factor-1α(SDF-1α)and AOPP were measured by ELISA and spectrophotometry method separatly.Carotid,femoral and common iliac artery intima-media thickness(IMT)were determined with non-invasive high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography.Results Both serum AOPP and SDF-1α levels were significantly higher in T2DM group as compared with those of heathy controls(80.32±12.65 μmol/L vs 41.80±17.09 μmol/L,P<0.01;2652.05±362.07 μg/L vs 2160.37±424.79 μg/L,P<0.05).Using the mean+2SD of AOPP concentration as cut-off ponit,T2DM with AOPP more than or equal to 92.97 μmol/L were defined as high AOPP group,while less than 92.97 μmol/L as normal AOPP group.Of all the patients with T2DM higher serum SDF-1α levels were found in high AOPP group than those of normal AOPP group(2813.04±330.25 μmol/L vs 2501.73±383.02 μmol/L,P<0.05).Both SDF-1α and AOPP levels were significantly increased in the atherosclerosis(As)group than those of non-As group(2843.93±355.28 μg/L vs 2507.88±360.62 μg/L,P<0.05;89.69±12.58 μmol/L vs 75.10±13.09 μmol/L,P<0.01)in the patients with T2DM.As was defined that carotid or femoral or common iliac artery IMT was more than 1 mm or there was a plaque on the vessal wall according to the ultrasonography.Serum levels of AOPP were correlated positively with serum SDF-1α(r=0.295,P=0.03).Conclusions Protein oxidation damages were increased in T2DM,increased levels of AOPP contribute to the increased expression of SDF-1α on vascular endothelial cells,increased AOPP may be associated with accelerated atherosclerosis in T2DM.