TY - JOUR
AR - CDM-2019-1-104
TI - Plasma Growth Differentiation Factor-15 in Children with Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Congenital Heart Disease
AU -  Amr, Zoair
AU - Doaa El, Amrousy
AU - Elham, Zahran
AU - Hesham, El-Serogy
JO - Cardiovascular Disorder and Medicine
PY - 2019
DA - Fri 07, Feb 2020
SN - 
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.31487/j.CDM.2019.01.04
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/plasma-growth-differentiation-factor-15_CDM-2019-1-104 
KW - GDF-15, infants, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, diagnostic biomarker
AB - Objectives: We aimed to investigate the levels and diagnostic value of plasma growth differentiation factor15 (GDF-15) in children with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (PH-CHD).
Methods: One hundred infants and children with CHD were included in the study; 50 of them with PHCHD and another 50 patients with CHD only. Fifty healthy infants and children of matched age and sex
were included as a control group. GDF-15 levels as well as echocardiographic examination were done for
all included subjects. Cardiac catheterization was performed for patients only.
Results: GDF-15 levels were significantly higher in patients with PH-CHD (0.62±0.2) nmol/ml compared
to those with CHD only patients (0.21±0.06) nmol/ml and to control group (0.13±0.02) nmol/ml with
P<0.001. GDF-15 levels were significantly elevated according to the severity of PH; (0.4±0.1) nmol/ml in
mild PH vs (0.7±0.3) nmol/ml in moderate PH vs (1.1±0.1) nmol/ml in severe PH. At a cutoff value of ≥
0.313 nmol/ml, the sensitivity of GDF-15 as a diagnostic biomarker in PH-CHD children was 95%, the
specificity was 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 100%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was
95.2 %.
Conclusion: GDF-15 is elevated in infants and children with PH-CHD and can be a promising diagnostic
biomarker in these patients.