PTX3 and diabetic retinopathy: PTX3 and hs-CRP have been linked in recent years to the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) [40,41], the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) [42], the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) [43], prediabetes (PreDM) and T2DM in obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [44], and the risk of cardiovascular diseases in both the general population and T2DM patients [45].