Significantly higher CXCL12 protein levels were detected in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (797.07 ± 31.84 pg/mL) when compared to HC (316.15 ± 16.6 pg/mL; P = 0.000) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis–mimic diseases, such as myelopathy (252.20 ± 23.16 pg/mL; P = 0.000), IP (270.24 ± 32.23 pg/mL; P = 0.000) and OMD (228.91 ± 29.20 pg/mL; P = 0.000) cases (Fig. 1A). Here, CXCL12 is linked to occult macular dystrophy.