Objectives To investigate low-grade inflammation in type 2 diabetes and explore associations to clinical aspects as well as microvascular and macrovascular complications.Design Cross-sectional analysis.Setting The outpatient diabetes clinic at the Department of Endocrinology at Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark.Participants 100 participants with type 2 diabetes confirmed by a haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)≥6.5% for a minimum of 1 year and 21 healthy controls.Outcome measures Serum levels of 27 inflammation-related biomarkers measured by immunoassay. Associations with microvascular and macrovascular complications, body weight, glycaemic control, medication and sex were investigated in the diabetes cohort.Results Serum levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and eotaxin were elevated in type 2 diabetes (p