Growth Differentiation Factor 15 at 1 Month After an Acute Coronary Syndrome Is Associated With Increased Risk of Major Bleeding

Advances in heart failure monitoring: Biosensors targeting molecular markers in peripheral bio-fluids

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), especially chronic heart failure, threaten many patients' lives worldwide. Because of its slow course and complex causes, its clinical screening, diagnosis, and prognosis are essential challenges. Clinical biomarkers and biosensor technologies can rapidly screen and diagnose. Multiple types of biomarkers are employed for screening purposes, precise diagnosis, and treatment follow-up. This article provides an up-to-date overview of the biomarkers associated with the six main heart failure etiology pathways. Plasma natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponins (cTnT, cTnl) are still analyzed as gold-standard markers for heart failure. Other complementary biomarkers include growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), circulating Galactose Lectin 3 (Gal-3), soluble interleukin (sST2), C-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). For these biomarkers, the electrochemical biosensors have exhibited sufficient sensitivity, detection limit, and specificity. This review systematically summarizes the latest molecular biomarkers and sensors for heart failure, which will provide comprehensive and cutting-edge authoritative scientific information for biomedical and electronic-sensing researchers in the field of heart failure, as well as patients. In addition, our proposed future outlook may provide new research ideas for researchers.

Prognostic value of growth differentiation factor-15 3 months after an acute chest pain admission

OBJECTIVE

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a predictor of death and cardiovascular events when measured during index hospitalisation in patients with acute chest pain. This study investigated the prognostic utility of measuring GDF-15 3 months after an admission with suspected non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

METHODS

GDF-15 was measured at baseline and 3 months after admission in 758 patients admitted with suspected NSTE-ACS. Patients were followed for a median of 1540 (IQR: 1087-1776) days after the 3-month visit. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality, while the secondary composite endpoint included all-cause mortality, incident myocardial infarction and heart failure hospitalisation during follow-up.

RESULTS

In patients with GDF-15 ≥1200 pg/mL (n=248), 18% died and 25% met the composite endpoint. In patients with GDF-15 <1200 pg/mL (n=510), 1.7% died and 4% met the composite endpoint. The GDF-15 concentration (log2 transformed) at 3 months was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (adjusted HR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4 to 3.3, p<0.001) and the composite endpoint (adjusted HR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.4 to 2.7, p<0.001), independently of traditional risk factors and baseline troponin T. A 10% change in GDF-15 concentration from baseline to the 3-month visit was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.13, p=0.031), adjusting for baseline GDF-15 concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

High GDF-15 concentrations 3 months after admission for suspected NSTE-ACS are associated with long-term mortality and cardiovascular events, independent of traditional risk factors and troponin T. A change in GDF-15 concentration can provide prognostic information.

Utility of growth differentiation factor-15 as a predictor of cardiovascular surgery outcomes: Current research and future directions

In a world increasingly confronted by cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and an aging population, accurate risk assessment prior to cardiac surgery is critical. Although effective, traditional risk calculators such as the Japan SCORE, Society of Thoracic Surgeons score, and EuroSCORE II may not completely capture contemporary risks, particularly due to emerging factors such as frailty and sarcopenia. These calculators often focus on regional and ethnic specificity and rely heavily on evaluations based on age and underlying diseases. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive cytokine that has been identified as a potential biomarker for sarcopenia and a tool for future cardiac risk assessment. Preoperative plasma GDF-15 levels have been associated with preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors and short- and long-term mortality rates in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Increased plasma GDF-15 levels have prognostic significance, having been correlated with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass during surgery, amount of bleeding, postoperative acute kidney injury, and intensive care unit stay duration. Notably, the inclusion of preoperative levels of GDF-15 in risk stratification models enhances their predictive value, especially when compared with those of the N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, which does not lead to reclassification. Thus, this review examines traditional risk assessments for cardiac surgery and the role of the novel biomarker GDF-15. This study acknowledges that the relationship between patient outcomes and elevated GDF-15 levels is not limited to CVDs or cardiac surgery but can be associated with variable diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Moreover, the normal range of GDF-15 is not well defined. Given its promise for improving patient care and outcomes in cardiovascular surgery, future research should explore the potential of GDF-15 as a biomarker for postoperative outcomes and target therapeutic intervention.

Risk stratification using growth differentiation factor 15 in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation

AIMS

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) shows potential predictive value in various cardiac conditions. We investigated relationships between GDF15 and clinical or procedural outcomes in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in order to propose clinically useful predictive risk stratification model.

METHODS

This prospective single-center registry enrolled 88 consecutive patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis treated with TAVI. Clinical parameters were collected and biomarkers including GDF-15 were measured within 24 h before TAVI. All relevant clinical outcomes according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 were collected over the follow-up period.

RESULTS

The cohort included 52.3% of females. The mean age of study participants was 81 years; the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) score and logistic EuroSCORE were 3.6% and 15.4%, respectively. The mortality over the entire follow-up period was 10.2%; no death was observed within the first 30 days following TAVI. Univariate analysis showed significant associations between GDF15 and mortality (P=0.0006), bleeding (P=0.0416) and acute kidney injury (P=0.0399). A standard multivariate logistic regression model showed GDF-15 as the only significant predictor of mortality (P=0.003); the odds ratio corresponding to an increase in GDF15 of 1000 pg/mL was 1.22. However, incremental predictive value was not observed when the STS score was combined with GDF15 in this predictive model.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our observations, preprocedural elevated GDF15 levels are associated with increased mortality and demonstrate their additional value in predicting adverse clinical outcomes in a TAVI population.

Growth differentiation factor-15 predicts major bleeding, major adverse cardiac events and mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis: findings from the VIVALDI study

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are at high risk of cardiovascular events and bleeding. Optimizing risk assessment of ESKD patients regarding the risk of thromboembolism and bleeding complications in comorbid conditions, including atrial fibrillation and coronary heart disease, is challenging. To improve risk prediction we investigated growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a promising cardiovascular biomarker, and its relation to adverse outcomes.

METHODS

In this prospective, multicentre, population-based cohort study, GDF-15 was measured in 594 ESKD patients on haemodialysis (median age 66 years, 38% female), who were followed up for a median of 3.5 years. The association of GDF-15 with major bleeding, arterial thromboembolism, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and death was analysed within a competing risk framework. Further, we evaluated the additive predictive value of GDF-15 to cardiovascular and death risk assessment.

RESULTS

GDF-15 levels were in median 5475 ng/l (25th-75th percentile 3964-7533) and independently associated with major bleeding {subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 1.31 per double increase [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.71]}, MACE [SHR 1.47 (95% CI 1.11-1.94)] and all-cause mortality [SHR 1.58 (95% CI 1.28-1.95)] but not arterial thromboembolism [SHR 0.91 (95% CI 0.61-1.36)]. The addition of GDF-15 to the HAS-BLED score significantly improved discrimination and calibration for predicting major bleeding [C-statistics increased from 0.61 (95% CI 0.52-0.70) to 0.68 (95% CI 0.61-0.78)]. Furthermore, we established an additive predictive value of GDF-15 beyond current risk models for predicting MACE and death.

CONCLUSION

GDF-15 predicts the risk of major bleeding, cardiovascular events and death in ESKD patients on haemodialysis and might be a valuable marker to guide treatment decisions in this challenging patient population.

Growth Differentiation Factor 15 and Risk of Bleeding Events: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15) is a potent predictor of bleeding in people with cardiovascular disease. However, whether GDF15 is associated with bleeding in individuals without a history of cardiovascular disease is unknown. Methods and Results The study population was from the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study. We studied the association of GDF15 with hospitalized bleeding events among 9205 participants (1993-1995) without prior bleeding and cardiovascular disease (mean age 60 years, 57% women, 21% Black). Plasma levels of GDF15 were measured in relative fluorescence units using DNA-based aptamer technology. Bleeding was ascertained using discharge codes. We examined hazard ratios (HRs) of incident bleeding using Cox models and risk prediction with the addition of GDF15 to clinical predictors of bleeding. There were 1328 hospitalizations with bleeding during a median follow-up of 22.5 years. The majority (76.5%) were because of gastrointestinal bleeding. The absolute incidence rate of bleeding per 1000 person-years was 11.64 in the highest quartile of GDF15 versus 5.22 in the lowest quartile. The highest versus lowest quartile of GDF15 demonstrated an adjusted HR of 2.00 (95% CI, 1.69-2.35) for total bleeding. The findings were consistent when we examined bleeding as the primary discharge diagnosis. The addition of GDF15 to clinical predictors of bleeding improved the C-statistic by 0.006 (0.002-0.011) from 0.684 to 0.690, P=0.008. Conclusions Higher levels of GDF15 were associated with bleeding events and improved the risk prediction beyond clinical predictors in individuals without cardiovascular disease.

Effects of early myocardial reperfusion and perfusion on myocardial necrosis/dysfunction and inflammation in patients with ST-segment and non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: results from the PLATelet inhibition and patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial

Aims

Restoration of myocardial blood flow and perfusion during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) measured using Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade (TFG) and perfusion grade (TMPG) is associated with improved outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Associations between TFG/TMPG and changes in biomarkers reflecting myocardial damage/dysfunction and inflammation is unknown.

Methods and results

Among 2606 patients included, TFG was evaluated in 2198 and TMPG in 1874 with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) or non-ST-segment ACS (NSTE-ACS). Biomarkers reflecting myocardial necrosis [troponin T (TnT)], myocardial dysfunction [N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)], inflammation [interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP)], and oxidative stress/ageing/inflammation [growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15)] were measured at baseline, discharge, and 1- and 6-month post-randomization. Associations between TFG/TMPG and changes in biomarker levels were evaluated using the Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon signed test. In total, 1423 (54.6%) patients had STEMI and 1183 (45.4%) NSTE-ACS. Complete reperfusion after PCI with TFG = 3 was achieved in 1110 (85.3%) with STEMI and in 793 (88.5%) with NSTE-ACS. Normal myocardial perfusion with TMPG = 3 was achieved in 475 (41.6%) with STEMI and in 396 (54.0%) with NSTE-ACS. Levels of TnT, NT-proBNP, IL-6, CRP, and GDF-15 were substantially lower at discharge in patients with complete vs. incomplete TFG and STEMI (P < 0.01). This pattern was not observed for patients with NSTE-ACS. Patients with normal vs. abnormal TMPG and NSTE-ACS had lower levels of NT-proBNP at discharge (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Successful restoration of epicardial blood flow in STEMI was associated with less myocardial necrosis/dysfunction and inflammation. Attainment of normal myocardial perfusion was associated with less myocardial dysfunction in NSTE-ACS.

Emerging Biomarkers in Acute Coronary Syndromes - A Pathophysiologic Perspective

Diagnosis and prognostication in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) is achieved using a combination of clinical factors and biomarkers, notably cardiac troponin and B type natriuretic peptide and its N terminal fragment NT-proBNP. However, there are numerous biomarkers that have been shown to be associated with ACS, with variable incremental utility. This brief review focusses on some promising emerging biomarkers in ACS, discussed according to pathophysiologic mechanism, as well as diagnostic and prognostic utility.

Alcohol consumption patterns and growth differentiation factor 15 among life-time drinkers aged 65+ years in Spain: a cross-sectional study

AIMS

To examine the association of alcohol consumption patterns with growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) in older drinkers, separately among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD)/diabetes and those without them, as GDF-15 is a strong biomarker of chronic disease burden.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Population-based study in Madrid (Spain).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 2051 life-time drinkers aged 65+ years included in the Seniors-ENRICA-2 study in 2015-17. Participants' mean age was 71.4 years and 55.4% were men.

MEASUREMENTS

According to their average life-time alcohol intake, participants were classified as occasional (≤ 1.43 g/day), low-risk (men: > 1.43-20 g/day; women: > 1.43-10 g/day), moderate-risk (men: > 20-40 g/day; women: > 10-20 g/day) and high-risk drinkers (men: > 40 g/day; women: > 20 g/day; or binge drinkers). We also ascertained wine preference (> 80% of alcohol derived from wine), drinking with meals and adherence to a Mediterranean drinking pattern (MDP) defined as low-risk drinking, wine preference and one of the following: drinking only with meals; higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet; or any of these.

FINDINGS

In participants without CVD/diabetes, GDF-15 increased by 0.27% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.06%, 0.48%] per 1 g/day increment in alcohol among high-risk drinkers, but there was no clear evidence of association in those with lower intakes or in the overall group, or across categories of alcohol consumption status. Conversely, among those with CVD/diabetes, GDF-15 rose by 0.19% (95% CI = 0.05%, 0.33%) per 1 g/day increment in the overall group and GDF-15 was 26.89% (95% CI = 12.93%, 42.58%) higher in high-risk versus low-risk drinkers. Drinking with meals did not appear to be related to GDF-15, but among those without CVD/diabetes, wine preference and adherence to the MDP were associated with lower GDF-15, especially when combined with high adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

CONCLUSIONS

Among older life-time drinkers in Madrid, Spain, high-risk drinking was positively associated with growth differentiation factor 15 (a biomarker of chronic disease burden). There was inconclusive evidence of a beneficial association for low-risk consumption.

Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Correlates Inversely with Protease-Activated Receptor-1-Mediated Platelet Reactivity in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 inhibits platelet activation, prevents thrombus formation, and has been linked to bleeding events. This was a prospective study including 51 left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients on aspirin and phenprocoumon. Platelet surface expression of activated glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa was assessed by flow cytometry, and platelet aggregation was measured by multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) in response to arachidonic acid (AA), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP), a protease-activated-receptor-1 (PAR-1) agonist. GDF-15 was determined with a commercially-available assay. There was a trend towards an inverse correlation of GDF-15 with activated GPIIb/IIIa in response to TRAP (r = −0.275, p = 0.0532) but not in response to AA and ADP. Moreover, GDF-15 correlated with MEA TRAP (r = −0.326, p = 0.0194), whereas it did not correlate with MEA ADP and MEA AA. In a second step, GDF-15 levels in the fourth quartile were defined as high GDF-15. Patients with high GDF-15 showed significantly lower TRAP-inducible platelet aggregation by MEA compared to patients in the first quartile (63 AU vs. 113 AU, p = 0.0065). In conclusion, in LVAD patients receiving state-of-the-art antithrombotic therapy, GDF-15 correlates inversely with residual platelet reactivity via PAR-1.

Electroanalytical point-of-care detection of gold standard and emerging cardiac biomarkers for stratification and monitoring in intensive care medicine - a review

Determination of specific cardiac biomarkers (CBs) during the diagnosis and management of adverse cardiovascular events such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has become commonplace in emergency department (ED), cardiology and many other ward settings. Cardiac troponins (cTnT and cTnI) and natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-pro-BNP) are the preferred biomarkers in clinical practice for the diagnostic workup of AMI, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and other types of myocardial ischaemia and heart failure (HF), while the roles and possible clinical applications of several other potential biomarkers continue to be evaluated and are the subject of several comprehensive reviews. The requirement for rapid, repeated testing of a small number of CBs in ED and cardiology patients has led to the development of point-of-care (PoC) technology to circumvent the need for remote and lengthy testing procedures in the hospital pathology laboratories. Electroanalytical sensing platforms have the potential to meet these requirements. This review aims firstly to reflect on the potential benefits of rapid CB testing in critically ill patients, a very distinct cohort of patients with deranged baseline levels of CBs. We summarise their source and clinical relevance and are the first to report the required analytical ranges for such technology to be of value in this patient cohort. Secondly, we review the current electrochemical approaches, including its sub-variants such as photoelectrochemical and electrochemiluminescence, for the determination  of important CBs highlighting the various strategies used, namely the use of micro- and nanomaterials, to maximise the sensitivities and selectivities of such approaches. Finally, we consider the challenges that must be overcome to allow for the commercialisation of this technology and transition into intensive care medicine.

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) in cardiovascular diseases: predicting bleeding after cardiac surgery and beyond that!

No Abstract.

GDF-15, a future therapeutic target of glucolipid metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease

Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) was discovered as a member of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily and the serum level of GDF-15 was significantly correlated with glucolipid metabolic disorders (GLMD) and cardiovascular diseases. In 2017, a novel identified receptor of GDF-15-glial-derived neurotrophic factor receptor alpha-like (GFRAL) was found to regulate energy homeostasis (such as obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)). The function of GDF-15/GFRAL in suppressing appetite, enhancing glucose/lipid metabolism and vascular remodeling has been gradually revealed. These effects make it a potential therapeutic target for GLMD and vascular diseases. In this narrative review, we included and reviewed 121 articles by screening 524 articles from literature database. We primarily focused on the function of GDF-15 and its role in GLMD/cardiovascular diseases and discuss its potential clinical application.

GDF15 and Cardiac Cells: Current Concepts and New Insights

Growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) belongs to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily of proteins. Glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor α-like (GFRAL) is an endogenous receptor for GDF15 detected selectively in the brain. GDF15 is not normally expressed in the tissue but is prominently induced by “injury”. Serum levels of GDF15 are also increased by aging and in response to cellular stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. It acts as an inflammatory marker and plays a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative processes. Identified as a new heart-derived endocrine hormone that regulates body growth, GDF15 has a local cardioprotective role, presumably due to its autocrine/paracrine properties: antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic. GDF15 expression is highly induced in cardiomyocytes after ischemia/reperfusion and in the heart within hours after myocardial infarction (MI). Recent studies show associations between GDF15, inflammation, and cardiac fibrosis during heart failure and MI. However, the reason for this increase in GDF15 production has not been clearly identified. Experimental and clinical studies support the potential use of GDF15 as a novel therapeutic target (1) by modulating metabolic activity and (2) promoting an adaptive angiogenesis and cardiac regenerative process during cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we comment on new aspects of the biology of GDF15 as a cardiac hormone and show that GDF15 may be a predictive biomarker of adverse cardiac events.

Circulating Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Is Increased Preceding Preeclampsia Diagnosis: Implications as a Disease Biomarker

Background

We investigated the biomarker potential of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15), a stress response protein highly expressed in placenta, to predict preeclampsia.

Methods and Results

In 2 prospective cohorts (cohort 1: 960 controls, 39 women who developed preeclampsia; cohort 2: 950 controls, 41 developed preeclampsia), plasma concentrations of GDF‐15 at 36 weeks' gestation were significantly increased among those who developed preeclampsia (P<0.001), area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of 0.66 and 0.71, respectively. In cohort 2 a ratio of sFlt‐1/PlGF (a clinical biomarker for preeclampsia) had a sensitivity of 61.0% at 83.2% specificity to predict those who will develop preeclampsia (AUC of 0.79). A ratio of GDF‐15×sFlt‐1/PlGF yielded a sensitivity of 68.3% at 83.2% specificity (AUC of 0.82). GDF‐15 was consistently elevated across a number of international cohorts: levels were higher in placenta and blood from women delivering <34 weeks' gestation due to preterm preeclampsia in Melbourne, Australia; and in the blood at 26 to 32 weeks' gestation among 57 women attending the Manchester Antenatal Vascular Service (MAViS, UK) who developed preeclampsia (P=0.0002), compared with 176 controls. In the Preeclampsia Obstetric adVerse Events biobank (PROVE, South Africa), plasma GDF‐15 was significantly increased in women with preeclampsia with severe features (P=0.02; n=14) compared to controls (n=14).

Conclusions

We conclude circulating GDF‐15 is elevated among women more likely to develop preeclampsia or diagnosed with the condition. It may have value as a clinical biomarker, including the potential to improve the sensitivity of sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio.

Circulating Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Levels Are Associated With Risk of Both Intracerebral and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) has been associated with the risk of developing major bleedings, including but not restricted to intracranial hemorrhages, in patients on oral anticoagulants or dual antiplatelet therapy. We hypothesized that there may be an association of GDF-15 with incidence of hemorrhagic strokes in the general population, which has not been investigated before.

Methods: Two different case-control studies, one for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and one for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), nested within the population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort, were defined using the incidence density sampling method. GDF-15 was analyzed in frozen blood samples taken at the baseline examination in 1991–1996. The associations between GDF-15 and incident ICH (220 cases, 244 controls) and incident SAH (79 cases, 261 controls), respectively, were explored using conditional logistic regression adjusting for risk factors.

Results: GDF-15 levels at baseline were higher in both incident ICH and SAH cases, compared with their respective control subjects. After adjustment for risk factors, significant relationships with high GDF-15 concentrations were observed both for incident ICH (odds ratio (OR) per 1 log2 unit: 2.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.52–3.41; P = 7.1 × 10⁻⁵) and incident SAH (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.29–3.59; P = 0.0032).

Conclusions: High circulating GDF-15 levels were associated with incident ICH and incident SAH, independently of the main risk factors.

Healthy dietary patterns are associated with lower concentrations of growth differentiation factor 15 in older adults

BACKGROUND

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a biomarker for aging and chronic disease burden that may capture the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects attributed to healthy diets.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine whether several healthy dietary patterns and a lower inflammatory potential of diet are associated with lower concentrations of GDF-15 in older adults.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional data from 2501 older adults participating in the Seniors-ENRICA-2 study. Four diet indices were derived from habitual food consumption estimated with a validated diet history: Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII). Associations of these indices with GDF-15 concentrations were analyzed using linear regression models and adjusted for risk factors and biomarkers associated with chronic disease.

RESULTS

There was a clear dose-response association between all dietary patterns and serum GDF-15 concentrations; the GDF-15 mean reductions (95% CI) per 1-SD increment in the diet indices were 1.6% (0.1%, 3.1%) for the MEDAS, 2.1% (0.5%, 3.7%) for the AHEI-2010, and 1.6% (0.1%, 3.2%) for the DASH, whereas a mean GDF-15 increase of 1.7% (0.2%, 3.4%) was observed per 1-SD increment in the DII. In analyses excluding fruit and vegetable components from the diet indices, the association for the MEDAS and the AHEI-2010 remained but was attenuated for the DASH. Analyses excluding participants with cardiovascular disease or diabetes rendered very similar results.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher adherence to several healthy dietary patterns and a lower inflammatory potential of diet were related to lower concentrations of GDF-15 in older adults, suggesting that improving diet quality may reduce inflammation and possibly promote healthy aging.

GDF-15 as a Biomarker in Cardiovascular Disease

In the last years, several diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers have been studied in cardiovascular disease. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a cytokine belonging to the transforming growth factor- (TGF-) family, is highly up-regulated in stress and inflammatory conditions and has been correlated to myocardial injury and pressure cardiac overload in animal models. This new biomarker has been positively correlated with increased risk of cardiovascular events in population studies and shown an independent predictor of mortality in patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure. This review aimed to summarize the current evidence on the diagnostic and prognostic value of GDF-15 in different settings in cardiology.

The clinical impact of growth differentiation factor-15 in heart disease: A 2019 update

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), also known as macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene (NAG-1) has been identified as a biomarker of response to treatment and prognosis in cardiovascular diseases. GDF-15 is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily and is involved in several pathological conditions such as inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal diseases. Cardiac myocytes produce and secrete GDF-15 in response to oxidative stress, stimulation with angiotensin II or proinflammatory cytokines, ischemia, and mechanical stretch. Other cellular sources of GDF-15 production are macrophages, vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and adipocytes, which secrete GDF-15 in response to oxidative or metabolic stress or stimulation of proinflammatory cytokines. GDF-15 is induced in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy after volume overload, ischemia, and heart failure. GDF-15 can be used as a marker of prognosis in patients with cardiovascular disorders, in combination with conventional prognostic factors, such as N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT).

Association of Multiple Biomarkers With Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality After Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Secondary Analysis of the PLATO Biomarker Study

Importance

Mortality remains at about 5% within a year after an acute coronary syndrome event. Prior studies have assessed biomarkers in relation to all-cause or cardiovascular deaths but not across multiple causes.

Objective

To assess if different biomarkers provide information about the risk for all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial randomized 18 624 patients with acute coronary syndrome to ticagrelor or clopidogrel from October 2006 through July 2008. In this secondary analysis biomarker substudy, 17 095 patients participated.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Death due to myocardial infarction, heart failure, sudden cardiac death/arrhythmia, bleeding, procedures, other vascular causes, and nonvascular causes, as well as all-cause death.

Exposures

At baseline, levels of cystatin-C, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high-sensitivity troponin I and T, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were determined.

Results

The median (interquartile range) age of patients was 62.0 (54.0-71.0) years. Of 17 095 patients, 782 (4.6%) died during follow-up. The continuous associations between biomarkers and all-cause and cause-specific mortality were modeled using Cox models and presented as hazard ratio (HR) comparing the upper vs lower quartile. For all-cause mortality, NT-proBNP and GDF-15 were the strongest markers with adjusted HRs of 2.96 (95% CI, 2.33-3.76) and 2.65 (95% CI, 2.17-3.24), respectively. Concerning death due to heart failure, NT-proBNP was associated with an 8-fold and C-reactive protein, GDF-15, and cystatin-C, with a 3-fold increase in risk. Regarding sudden cardiac death/arrhythmia, NT-proBNP was associated with a 4-fold increased risk and GDF-15 with a doubling in risk. Growth differentiation factor-15 had the strongest associations with other vascular and nonvascular deaths and was possibly associated with death due to major bleeding (HR, 4.91; 95% CI, 1.39-17.43).

Conclusions and Relevance

In patients with acute coronary syndrome, baseline levels of NT-proBNP and GDF-15 were strong markers associated with all-cause death based on their associations with death due to heart failure as well as due to arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Growth differentiation factor-15 had the strongest associations with death due to other vascular or nonvascular causes and possibly with death due to bleeding.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00391872.

Combined association of key risk factors on ischaemic outcomes and bleeding in patients with myocardial infarction

Objective

In patients with myocardial infarction (MI), risk factors for bleeding and ischaemic events tend to overlap, but the combined effects of these factors have scarcely been studied in contemporary real-world settings. We aimed to assess the combined associations of established risk factors using nationwide registries.

Methods

Using the Swedish Web-system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies registry, patients with invasively managed MI in 2006–2014 were included. Six factors were assessed in relation to cardiovascular death (CVD)/MI/stroke, and major bleeding: age ≥65, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, multivessel disease, prior bleeding and prior MI.

Results

We studied 100 879 patients, of whom 20 831 (20.6%) experienced CVD/MI/stroke and 5939 (5.9%) major bleeding, during 3.6 years median follow-up. In adjusted Cox models, all factors were associated with CVD/MI/stroke, and all but prior MI were associated with major bleeding. The majority (53.5%) had ≥2 risk factors. With each added risk factor, there was a marked but gradual increase in incidence of the CVD/MI/stroke. This was seen also for major bleeding, but to a lesser extent, largely driven by prior bleeding as the strongest risk factor.

Conclusions

The majority of patients with MI had two or more established risk factors. Increasing number of risk factors was associated with higher rate of ischaemic events. When excluding patients with prior major bleeding, bleeding incidence rate increased only minimally with increasing number of risk factors. The high ischaemic risk in those with multiple risk factors highlights an unmet need for additional preventive measures.

Prognostic role of GDF-15 across the spectrum of clinical risk in patients with NSTE-ACS

Background

Growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 has been shown to predict cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using non-commercial assays. We evaluated the prognostic performance of GDF-15 measured with the first clinically available assay. Furthermore, we evaluated whether GDF-15 was associated with CV death or heart failure (HF) across the spectrum of risk in non-ST-segment elevation (NSTE)-ACS.

Methods

We measured baseline GDF-15 (Roche, Elecsys) in 4330 patients with NSTE-ACS enrolled in MERLIN-TIMI 36. Patients were categorized using a priori thresholds of GDF-15 levels (<1200, 1200–1800, ≥1800 ng/L) and stratified according to estimated clinical risk per TIMI risk score (0–2, 3–4, and ≥5). Cox modeling included age, sex, BMI, smoking, HF, diabetes, renal function, NT-proBNP, hsTnT, and hsCRP.

Results

There were 2286 (53%), 1104 (25%), and 940 (22%) pts with GDF-15 <1200, 1200–1800, and ≥1800 respectively. GDF-15 was significantly associated after multivariable adjustment with CV death/HF modeled either as a categorical (1200–1800 ng/L: Adj hazard ratios [HR] 1.55 [1.09–2.19]; ≥1800 ng/L: Adj HR 1.94 [1.34–2.79]) or continuous variable (Adj HR 1.36 [1.16–1.60] per 1-unit increase in log2-transformed GDF-15). Notably, there was an interaction (Pinteraction=0.003) between TIMI risk score and GDF-15, with GDF-15 identifying the greatest incremental relative risk in those at lowest risk based on the TIMI risk score alone.

Conclusions

Using a clinically available assay, GDF-15 can be applied using established cut-off points to independently predict risk of CV death/HF in patients with NSTE-ACS. This incremental risk appears to be particularly robust among individuals traditionally identified as low risk.

Acute-phase dynamics and prognostic value of growth differentiation factor-15 in ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Background

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is prognostic in first-generation radioimmunoassays. We examined GDF-15 temporal dynamics in STEMI and its predictive value using a first fully automated GDF-15 electrochemiluminescence assay.

Methods

In this prospective study, circulating GDF-15 concentration was measured at admission (0 h), 12 h and 24 h in 1026 consecutive STEMI patients treated between February 2011 and May 2016 with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. GDF-15 dynamics (0 h, 12 h, 24 h) and predictive value (30 days and 3 years) were examined.

Results

Median GDF-15 concentration was 1443 pg/mL at 0 h, 1731 pg/mL at 12 h and 1510 pg/mL at 24 h (p<0.001). During follow-up, 94 patients died (9.2%) and 154 (15.0%) were hospitalized. GDF-15 was a strong predictor of 30-day mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33–2.34 at 0 h; HR 2.99 [95% CI, 2.18–4.09] at 12 h, and HR 1.97 [95% CI, 1.47–2.63] at 24 h) in multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. GDF-15 improved discrimination and reclassification of a clinical risk model. GDF-15 was also associated with 3-year mortality (HR 1.31 [95% CI, 1.04–1.65] at 0 h, HR 1.42 [95% CI, 1.10–1.84] at 12 h, and HR 1.51 [95% CI, 1.16–1.96] at 24 h) and 3-year composite of mortality and cardiovascular hospitalization (HR 1.17 [95% CI, 1.01–1.37] at 0 h, HR 1.20 [95% CI, 1.02–1.42] at 12 h, and HR 1.27 [95% CI, 1.08–1.50] at 24 h).

Conclusions

GDF-15 peaked at 12 h and remained elevated at 24 h in STEMI. GDF-15 measurement during the first 24 h in STEMI is valuable for predicting especially short- but also long-term outcomes, and may be a useful addition to risk stratification.

Can Blood Biomarkers Help Predicting Outcome in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation?

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become the method of choice for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis, who are ineligible or at high risk for surgery. In this high risk patient population, early and late mortality and rehospitalization rates after TAVI are still relatively high. In spite of recent improvements in procedural TAVI, and establishment of risk models for poor outcome, determining individual risk remains challenging. In this context, current data from several small studies strongly suggest that blood biomarkers of myocardial injury, cardiac mechanical stretch, inflammation, and hemostasis imbalance might play an important role by providing informations on patient risk at baseline, and postprocedural progression of patient clinical conditions from days up to years post-TAVI. Although the role of biomarkers for predicting survival post-TAVI remains to be validated in large randomized studies, implementing biomarkers in clinical practice might improve risk stratification, thereby further reducing TAVI-associated morbidity and mortality.

Growth differentiation factor 15 is associated with left atrial/left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

There is evidence suggesting that growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) appears to be associated with stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AF-related thromboembolic stroke is predominantly attributed to the thrombus from the left atrium (LA) or left atrial appendage (LAA).

HYPOTHESIS

GDF-15 is related to LA/LAA thrombus in nonvalvular AF (NVAF) patients.

METHODS

A total of 894 patients with NVAF without anticoagulation therapy were included in this study. All patients routinely underwent transesophageal echocardiography for detection of LA/LAA thrombus. GDF-15 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression models were used to test for association.

RESULTS

LA/LAA thrombus was detected by transesophageal echocardiography in 69 (7.72%) patients with AF. The GDF-15 levels in the patients with LA/LAA thrombus were significantly higher than those without LA/LAA thrombus (log₁₀ GDF-15: 2.989 ± 0.023 ng/L vs 2.831 ± 0.007 ng/L; P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that GDF-15 was an independent risk factor for LA/LAA thrombus (odds ratio [per quarter]: 1.799, 95% confidence interval: 1.381-2.344, P < 0.001) after adjusting for potential clinical risk factors. The optimal cutoff point for GDF-15 predicting LA/LAA thrombus was 809.9 ng/L (sensitivity, 75.3%; specificity, 61.5%), determined by ROC curve. The area under the curve was 0.709 (95% confidence interval: 0.644-0.770, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated GDF-15 indicated a significantly increased risk for LA/LAA thrombus in NVAF patients. Thus, GDF-15 might be a potentially useful adjunct in discriminating LA/LAA thrombus in NVAF patients.