Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is one of the most serious and common microvascular complications of diabetes, it is a major cause of blindness all over the world. The pathogenesis of DR is very complex and are still being elucidated at present. The classic theory includes abnormal metabolism of polyol, increased advanced glycation end products, activation of protein kinase C, oxidative stress, etc. Recently, with the rapid development of molecular biology, the research of molecular basis has become the focus and hot topic. Cytokines have been shown to involve in the progress of DR such as VEGF, IGF-1, bFGF, etc. A variety of cytokines can induce intraocular angiogenesis through complex signal transduction system, break down blood retinal barrier, and finally result in the development of DR. This article reviews the relationship between cytokine and the progress of DR.