Growth differentiation factor 15 is increased in stable MS
Andrea Amstad, Mali Coray, Corina Frick, Christian Barro, Johanna Oechtering, Michael Amann, Jörg Wischhusen, Ludwig Kappos, Yvonne Naegelin, Jens Kühle, Matthias Mehling
Abstract
<h3>Objective</h3> To assess whether serum concentrations of the anti-inflammatory cytokine growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) differ in patients with highly active multiple sclerosis (MS) vs patients with stable MS and healthy controls (HCs). <h3>Methods</h3> GDF-15 concentrations were measured by ELISA in serum and CSF in a cross-sectional cohort of patients with MS, patients with other inflammatory neurologic diseases (OIND), patients with noninflammatory neurologic diseases (NIND), and healthy controls (HC). Serum GDF-15 concentrations were measured in a longitudinally sampled cohort of clinically and radiologically well-characterized patients with MS and corresponding controls. <h3>Results</h3> Cross-sectionally measured median serum GDF-15 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with OIND (n = 42) (600 pg/mL, interquartile range [IQR] = 320–907 pg/mL) compared with HCs (n = 29) (325 pg/mL, IQR = 275–419 pg/mL; <i>p</i> = 0.0007), patients with NIND (n = 46) (304 pg/mL, IQR = 245–493 pg/mL; <i>p</i> = 0.0002), or relapsing MS (n = 42) (356 pg/mL, IQR = 246–460 pg/mL; <i>p</i> = 0.0002). CSF and serum concentrations of GDF-15 were correlated (r = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.25–0.56, <i>p</i> < 0.0001). In a longitudinally sampled cohort of patients with MS (n = 48), deeply phenotyped with quantitative clinical and MRI assessments, mean GDF-15 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with a stable disease course (405 pg/mL, SD = 202) than in patients with intermittent MRI activity (333 pg/mL, SD = 116; <i>p</i> = 0.02). <h3>Conclusions</h3> Serum GDF-15 concentrations are increased in patients with MS with a stable disease course. These data suggest that GDF-15 may serve as a biomarker for disease stability in MS.