No abstract

Introduction and Aims: Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a member of TGF-beta family, has been implicated in several pathological conditions, which include inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular, pulmonary and renal diseases. Recently it is reported that serum GDF-15 may be a marker for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and CKD progression. In present study, we evaluated whether serum GDF-15 is associated with renal vascular resistance evaluated by resistive index (RI) measured in Ultrasound, which is the marker of renal injury. Methods: Eighty patients with essential hypertension were enrolled in this study. They were evaluated on serum GDF-15 and renal RI as well as for conventional atherosclerotic risk factors. Results: Mean age of all patients was 66 ± 12 years (35 males and 45 females). Mean eGFR and renal RI was 68.9 ± 23.0ml / min / 1.73m2 and 0.71 ± 0.07 respectively. Mean serum GDF-15 was 1492 ± 1319 pg/ml. RI correlated with GDF-15 (r=0.47, P<0.001), age (r=0.40, p<0.001), eGFR (r=-0.34, p=0.002) and diastolic BP (r=-0.56, p<0.001) in simple regression analysis. Multiple regression analysis showed GDF-15 (beta=0.31, P=0.005) and systolic BP (beta=0.35, P<0.001) and diastolic BP (beta=-0.74, P<0.001) were the independent determinants of renal RI. Conclusions: GDF-15 is associated with renal vascular resistance and may become a nephropathic marker in patients with hypertension.