Aim To investigate the levels of plasma adiponectin and resistin in type 2 diabetes and to explore their roles in this disease. Methods According to the body mass index (BMI), 60 type 2 diabetes patients were divided into two groups, one group was non-obese diabetes patients with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (30 cases) and the other group was obese diabetes patients with BMI > 25 kg/m2 (30 cases). There were 28 healthy persons in the control group. ELISA technique were employed to determine the plasma adiponectin and resistin concentration; at the same time the fasting blood glucose, insulin and blood lipid were detected; insulin resistance index and insulin sensitive index were calculated by the HOMA. Results ③The levels of plasma adiponectin were decreased significantly in diabetes group compared with that in control group ( P< 0.01); moreover, the adiponectin concentration in obese diabetes group were significantly decreased compared with that in non-obese diabetes group (P< 0.01). ②The levels of plasma resistin were increased significantly in diabetes group compared with that in control group ( P< 0.05, p<0.01); furthermore, the levels of resistin in obese diabetes group were increased significantly compared with that in non-obese diabetes group ( P< 0.01). ③Plasma adiponectin correlated negatively with BMI, blood glucose, insulin resistance index and triglyceride (respectively r= -0.55, p<0.01; r = -0.51, p<0.01; r= -0.52, p<0.01; r= -0.39, p< 0.05). It was positively correlated with insulin sensitive index (r=0.45, P< 0.01). Oppositely plasma resistin correlated positively with BMI, blood glucose, triglyceride and insulin resistance index (respectively r = 0.40, p<0.01; r = 0.52, P< 0.01; r = 0.46, p<0.01; r = 0.27, p<0.05), but it was negatively correlated with insulin sensitive index ( r = -0.32, P< 0.01). Conclusion Plasma adiponectin and resistin take apart in the development of insulin resistance and they may be associated with the disorder of glucose and lipid in type 2 diabetes.