GDF-15 is associated with thrombus burden in patients with deep venous thrombosis

Abstract Introduction Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has been identified as a predictor in cardiovascular diseases and acute pulmonary embolism. However, the association of GDF-15 and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate levels of GDF-15 in patients with DVT, and determine its association with the thrombus burden. Materials and methods 72 newly diagnosed DVT patients and 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled, and the levels of plasma GDF-15 were detected. To explore the relationship between GDF-15 and thrombus severity, we analyzed the thrombus burden and the association with pulmonary embolism of DVT patients. In vitro, the effect of GDF-15 on platelet aggregation and thrombin/antithrombin activity were investigated. Results We found that the mean levels of plasma GDF-15 in DVT patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (1448.78 ± 61.98 pg/ml VS 805.70 ± 112.95 pg/ml, P  Conclusions Increased GDF-15 level was associated with more thrombus severity of DVT patients and GDF-15 could inhibit platelet aggregation induced by ADP in vitro. These findings suggest that GDF-15 might not only be an indicator for thrombus severity but also be a potential treatment target in DVT.