Increased plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) system components appear in type 2 diabetes patients with poor glycemic control. We have analyzed the expression of TNFalpha, TNFR1 and TNFR2 when monocytes and lymphocytes isolated from a group of recent onset type 2 diabetic patients, with fasting glucose levels below 7.0mM and glycated haemoglobin (Hb1Ac) in the normal range, were stimulated with high glucose or LPS endotoxin. We report, that cultured monocytes from these type 2 diabetic patients, in comparison to monocytes from non-diabetic individuals, had an enhanced response to LPS but did not respond to an acute glucose challenge (p<0.05). No differences were observed in the cultured lymphocyte fractions. These results indicate the existence of differences, elicited by LPS or high glucose related stimulus, between monocytes isolated from non-diabetic subjects or from type 2 diabetes patients.