Relationship Between Degree of Diabetic Retinopathy and Serum Fractalkine (CX3CL1) in Diabetic Patients

Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains a leading cause of preventable vision loss worldwide, yet reliable biochemical markers for early detection are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the predictive role of serum Fractalkine (CX3CL1) levels in the diagnosis and severity assessment of DR. Methods A total of 140 diabetic patients were enrolled, including 32 patients without DR and 108 patients with DR. The DR group was further categorized into proliferative and nonproliferative (mild, moderate, severe) subgroups. Serum Fractalkine levels were measured using the ELISA method. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 26.0, and p-values <0.05 were considered significant. Results Serum Fractalkine levels were significantly higher in patients with DR compared to controls (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between proliferative and nonproliferative groups. However, in the nonproliferative group, fractalkine levels were significantly higher in severe cases compared to mild and moderate cases (p < 0.05). ROC analysis identified an optimal cut-off value of 0.455 pg/ml for diagnosing DR (sensitivity: 81.5%, specificity: 56.3%) and 0.720 pg/ml for detecting moderate to severe nonproliferative DR (sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 61.9%). Conclusion Elevated serum Fractalkine levels are associated with the presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy. Fractalkine may serve as a promising adjunct biomarker for the early detection and grading of DR, highlighting the need for further research into its clinical utility.