Association of plasma level of growth differentiation factor-15 and clinical outcome after intraarterial thrombectomy

Abstract

Background and purpose: As intraarterial thrombectomy (IAT) has been actively practiced, blood biomarkers that can predict outcomes after IAT have drawn attention. Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive cytokine and the levels are increased during inflammation or other pathological conditions of various tissues, including the brain. However, GDF-15 levels have not been reported as a biomarker for IAT outcomes. This study was performed to evaluate whether GDF-15 was related to the extent of brain damage and whether it could predict patient prognosis after IAT.

Methods: Patients who showed large arterial occlusion and significant diffusion-perfusion mismatch on imaging underwent IAT. A total of 62 patients who underwent IAT and had blood samples for GDF-15 measurements were enrolled from July 2013 to May 2015. We assessed the infarct severity by consecutive changes on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) during admission and the size of the infarction on brain imaging. Modified Rankin Scale scores (mRS) from 0 to 2 were considered good outcomes, representing functional independence at discharge and three months later.

Results: The levels of GDF-15 at the time of admission were significantly correlated with the NIHSS scored at 24 hours (r = 0.306, p = 0.016), three days after IAT (r = 0.261, p = 0.041), and at discharge (r = 0.266, p = 0.037), as well as the infarct size on diffusion-weighted image taken 24 h after IAT (r = 0.452, p = 0.001), but the levels were not correlated with the initial NIHSS or the infarct size before IAT. Multiple logistic regression showed that GDF-15 levels were an independent predictor of functional independence (mRS 0 - 2) at discharge (p = 0.028) and three months after IAT (p = 0.019). Other factors that could predict prognosis were good collateral status on the initial brain angiography and rapid recanalization within six hours from symptom onset.

Conclusion: The GDF-15 level at the time of admission showed a significant positive correlation with the severity of cerebral damage and clinical outcome after IAT. This suggests that GDF-15 can provide useful prognostic information for patients who successfully underwent IAT in an emergency setting.

Keywords: Growth differentiation factor-15; Prognosis; Stroke; Thrombectomy.