Bipolar disorder is a group of severe mental disorders with high morbidity， high disability rate and high mortality， in which comorbid metabolic syndrome can lead to more adverse clinical outcomes. So far， the pathophysiological mechanism between the two is not clear. At present， a lot of studies have found a link among bipolar disorder， metabolism and immune inflammation. This article reviews the related research on metabolic abnormalities in bipolar disorder from the aspects of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， anti-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines， in order to provide a preliminary basis for early monitoring indicators of metabolic syndrome in bipolar disorder.