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. 2025 Jan 20;15(1):2470.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87062-z.

Relationship between growth differentiation factor 15 and functional prognosis and severity in traumatic brain injury

Hiroshi Ito  1 , Takeshi Ebihara  2 , Hisatake Matsumoto  1 , Jun Oda  1
Affiliations

Relationship between growth differentiation factor 15 and functional prognosis and severity in traumatic brain injury

Hiroshi Ito et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Circulating growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) increases in response to inflammation and tissue damage. Its association with functional prognosis in cerebral infarction and subarachnoid hemorrhage is established; however, its role in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its relationship with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, an indicator of systemic organ damage in TBI, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the correlation between GDF-15 and functional outcomes at discharge in patients with TBI and stroke, including its association with SOFA scores in TBI. Patients with cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and TBI transported within 24 h from July 2020 to August 2022 were included. Multivariable logistic regression analyzed the relationship between GDF-15 levels at admission and functional outcomes at discharge, with age and sex as covariates. Additionally, correlations between GDF-15 levels and SOFA scores were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression showed a relationship between GDF-15 levels at admission and functional outcomes at discharge in cerebral infarction and subarachnoid hemorrhage but not in TBI. In TBI cases, GDF-15 correlated with SOFA scores, indicating its potential as a TBI severity marker. Although functional prognosis at discharge was evaluated, long-term outcomes were not clear, and this will be addressed in future research.

Keywords: Growth differentiation factor 15; Sequential organ failure assessment score; Traumatic brain injury.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical guidelines and approvals: We confirm that this study complies with the ethical standards as outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of our hospital (Approval No. 885) and was anonymized according to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Scatterplot of GDF-15 and SOFA scores in traumatic brain injury. GDF-15 levels and SOFA scores were correlated. GDF-15 levels and functional outcomes were not correlated. GDF-15, growth differentiation factor 15; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Scatterplot of GDF-15 levels and SOFA scores by hospitalization day in traumatic brain injury. GDF-15 levels and SOFA scores were correlated on day 1 but not on days 3 and 7. GDF-15 and functional outcomes were not correlated on days 1, 3, and 7. GDF-15, growth differentiation factor 15; SOFA, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment.
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