Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) Is Related to Anemia and Iron Metabolism in Heart Allograft Recipients
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and Transplantology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
Department of Nephrology and Transplantology, Bialystok Medical University, Bialystok, Poland
Meeting: 2013 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 207
Anemia is more prevalent in heartl transplant recipients than in GFR-matched CKD patients, due to the combination of additional factors. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) was recently identified as a hepcidin-suppression factor that is expressed at high levels in patients with ineffective erythropoiesis. Hepcidin is a small defensin-like peptide whose production by hepatocytes is modulated in response to anemia, hypoxia or inflammation
The aim of the study was to assess GDF-15 levels and its correlation with iron parameters in 131 stable Htx recipients Healthy volunteers were studied to obtain the normal ranges for the studied paramete Methods: Complete blood count, urea, creatinine, lipids, fasting glucose, and iron status, were studied by standard laboratory methods. We assessed GDF-15, hepcidin, sTFR, hemojuvelin, cystatin C and NGAL with commercially available assays.
Results: Mean levels of GDF-15, NGAL, hepcidin and hemojuvelin were significantly higher in heart allograft recipients when compared to the control group (p<0.001). GDF 15 was significantly higher in patients with anemia when compared to non-anemic counterparts (p<0.05). In univariate analysis GDF-15 was related to kidney function (creatinine r=0.58, p0.001, eGFR by MDRD r=-0.47, p 0.001), NT-proBNP (r=0.40, p 0.01), age (r=0.31, p<0.01), time after transplantation (r=0.22, p0.05), hepcidin (r=-0.28, p<0.01), sTfR (r=0.34, p<0.01), hemoglobin (r=-0.43, p<0.01), TSAT (r=-0.28, p<0.01) haptoglobin (r=0.45, p<0.001), cystatin C (r=0.53, p<0.001), EF (r=-0.38, p<0.01), NYHA class (r=-0.43, p<0.01) and NGAL (r=-0.35, p<0.01). GDF-15 was not related to serum iron, or ferritin. In multivariate analysis, sTfR and haptoglobin were found to be predictors of GDF-15 (beta value 0.37, p=0.0025 and beta value 0.475, p=0.005), explaining 73% of the variation in GDF-15 levels in heart allograft recipients.
Concluding, GDF 15, by affecting iron metabolism, might be involved in the pathogenesis of anemia in Htx recipients.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Przybylowski P, Malyszko J, Malyszko J. Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) Is Related to Anemia and Iron Metabolism in Heart Allograft Recipients [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2013; 13 (suppl 5). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/growth-differentiation-factor-15-gdf-15-is-related-to-anemia-and-iron-metabolism-in-heart-allograft-recipients/. Accessed May 17, 2025.« Back to 2013 American Transplant Congress