The aim of this study was to compare curative effects of valsartan alone or combined with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on inflammatory cytokine indices including hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and renal function indices including urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and cystatin C (Cys C) of patients with early-stage diabetic kidney disease (DKD). One hundred and two patients with early-stage DKD were randomly divided into group A and group B, with 51 patients in each group. Group A was administered with valsartan alone, while group B was administered with valsartan combined with ALA. Research showed that 14 days after treatment, group B had significantly lowered hs-CRP, TNF-α, UAER, β2-MG and Cys C when compared with group A (all p<0.001). Compared to valsartan alone, valsartan combined with ALA can reduce level of inflammatory cytokines in serum and improve renal function.