Serum Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Levels Are Associated With Depression After Ischemic Stroke

Abstract

Background The effect of serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15) on poststroke depression (PSD) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum GDF‐15 and PSD among patients with ischemic stroke. Methods and Results This study was based on a random sample from CATIS (China Antihypertensive Trial in Acute Ischemic Stroke). A total of 572 patients from 7 participating hospitals with GDF‐15 levels were included in this analysis. The study outcome was depression (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score ≥8) at 3 months after ischemic stroke. A total of 231 (40.4%) patients with stroke experienced PSD within 3 months. The multivariate‐adjusted odds ratio of PSD associated with the highest tertile of serum GDF‐15 was 2.92 (95% CI, 1.36–6.27) compared with the lowest tertile. Each SD increase in log‐transformed GDF‐15 was associated with a 42% (95% CI, 2%–97%) increased risk of PSD, and a linear association between serum GDF‐15 and the risk of PSD was observed ( P for linearity=0.006). Conclusions Elevated serum GDF‐15 levels in the acute phase of ischemic stroke were independently associated with PSD, suggesting that GDF‐15 may be a valuable prognostic biomarker for PSD.

Mechanisms associated with post-stroke depression and pharmacologic therapy

“…High serum growth differentiation factor-15 levels may be associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts in depressed patients (59). Many recent studies have pointed out that serum growth differentiation factor-15 levels are nearly one-fold higher in patients with PSD than in patients without depression, and the sensitivity and specificity for predicting PSD were most heightened when the level was 1,660 ng/L (60,61). MMP-9 is a crucial determinant of extracellular matrix degradation, which is involved in inflammatory response and neuronal plasticity, and it plays a role in the development of brain injury and depression.…”

Growth Differentiation Factor 15 in Cardiovascular Diseases: Predicting Bleeding after Cardiac Surgery and Beyond That!

“…In consequence, it has been associated with several conditions. Previous studies demonstrated that increased GDF-15 levels are related with glaucoma, 22 periodontal disease, 23 mental disorders (including poststroke depression and Alzheimer's disease), 24,25 different cancer types (lung, gastrointestinal, and colorectal), 26,27 and prognosis in COVID-19. [28][29][30] Thus, the predictive ability of biomarkers (and biomarkerbased scores) beyond endpoints which they were designed for, could be very similar to what they were originally proposed (in the case of GDF-15, bleeding).…”