Identifying molecular markers in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) may support improved diagnostic approaches in specific clinical subgroups. A proteomics study published in the Journal of Diabetes Research evaluated serum biomarkers in patients with DFU and dampness-heat syndrome.

The study used 4D data-independent acquisition proteomics to analyze serum samples from 16 patients with DFU and dampness–heat syndrome and 6 healthy controls. Differentially expressed proteins were identified using predefined thresholds. Bioinformatic analyses included Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein-protein interaction network assessments.

A total of 201 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Enrichment analysis showed involvement of lipid metabolism pathways, including high-density lipoprotein remodeling and cholesterol metabolism, as well as complement and coagulation cascades. Network analysis identified a core module centered on APOA1, LCAT, PLTP, and CETP.

Validation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 28 independent cases confirmed significant dysregulation of these proteins compared with controls (all p < 0.05). The combined biomarker panel showed high diagnostic performance with an area under the curve of 0.9672.

These findings identify a four-protein panel associated with DFU in patients with dampness-heat syndrome, demonstrating high diagnostic performance in this study setting.