Abstract:Objective To investigate the predictive value of serum platelet-activating factor (PAF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) for autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) dysfunction in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).Methods A total of 240 ESRD patients on MHD who underwent AVF creation at Fengfeng General Hospital of North China Medical and Health Group between October 2021 and August 2025 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of AVF dysfunction during follow-up: the non-dysfunction group (dialysis blood flow ≥ 200 mL/min, n = 187) and the dysfunction group (dialysis blood flow < 200 mL/min, n = 53). Serum creatinine (Scr), serum phosphorus, albumin (Alb), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum calcium were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. D-dimer (D-D) levels were determined by immunoturbidimetry. Serum PAF, MCP-1, and FGF-23 levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for AVF dysfunction. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the predictive performance of PAF, MCP-1, and FGF-23, alone and in combination.Results Serum D-D, PAF, MCP-1, and FGF-23 levels were higher in the dysfunction group than in the non-dysfunction group (P < 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that elevated D-D [O^R = 1.613 (95% CI: 1.103, 2.359) ], PAF [O^R = 1.584 (95% CI: 1.035, 2.424) ], MCP-1 [O^R = 1.904 (95% CI: 1.119, 3.239) ], and FGF-23 [O^R = 1.817 (95% CI: 1.164, 2.835) ] were risk factors for AVF dysfunction in ESRD-MHD patients (P < 0.05). The AUCs of PAF, MCP-1, FGF-23, and their combination for predicting AVF dysfunction were 0.800 (95% CI: 0.744, 0.849), 0.813 (95% CI: 0.758, 0.860), 0.775 (95% CI: 0.717, 0.827), and 0.925 (95% CI: 0.884, 0.955), respectively. The corresponding sensitivities were 83.0% (95% CI: 0.772, 0.876), 69.8% (95% CI: 0.630, 0.759), 77.4% (95% CI: 0.710, 0.827), and 88.7% (95% CI: 0.836, 0.924), and the corresponding specificities were 69.0% (95% CI: 0.624, 0.749), 77.5% (95% CI: 0.714, 0.828), 68.5% (95% CI: 0.619, 0.744), and 82.4% (95% CI: 0.766, 0.870), respectively.Conclusion Serum PAF, MCP-1, and FGF-23 levels are closely associated with AVF dysfunction in ESRD patients on MHD. The combination of these three markers demonstrates favorable predictive performance for AVF dysfunction, and may serve as a potential reference for clinical risk stratification and management.