Two DCM donors (Case #2, 4 days post-anterior cervical disk fusion; Case #4, 4 days post-laminectomy) had recently undergone decompression surgery that could introduce acute inflammation; however, CX3CR1 and microglial marker up-regulation was consistent across all DCM cases, indicating that the findings predominantly reflect chronic compression rather than postoperative change. Here, CX3CR1 is linked to familial dilated cardiomyopathy.