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Updated: Sep 5, 2025

Refined Murine Model of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Published on: June 17, 2025
Elevated Expression of Growth Differentiation Factor-15 Is Associated With Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary
Mengshu Cao1,2,3, Lina Gu2, Lili Guo4
1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China.
Backgrounds:
Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a highly divergent member of the TGF-β superfamily and has been implicated in various biological functions. However, the expression of GDF-15 in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) is unclear.
Method:
The study included 47 AE-IPF patients, 61 stable IPF (S-IPF) subjects, and 31 healthy controls (HCs). Serum GDF-15 levels and their expression in the lung were measured. The correlation between serum GDF-15 and other clinical parameters and the risk factors for AE occurrence and the survival of IPF patients were analyzed.
Results:
Serum GDF-15 levels were significantly elevated in AE-IPF patients (1279.22 ± 540.02 pg/ml) as compared with HCs (891.30 ± 479.90 pg/ml) or S-IPF subjects (107.82 ± 14.21 pg/ml) (both p < 0.001). The protein and mRNA expressions of GDF-15 in the lung of AE-IPF patients were significantly increased as compared with S-IPF cases (p = 0.007 and p = 0.026, respectively). The serum GDF-15 level was correlated with the clinical variables of inflammation, metabolism, and disease severity in IPF subjects (all p < 0.05). The GDF-15 serum concentration was significantly higher in decedents than in survivors (p = 0.005). A serum GDF-15 level above 989.3 pg/ml was a risk factor for AE occurrence (p = 0.04), and the level above 1,075.76 pg/ml was an independent predictor for survival in IPF cases (p = 0.007).
Conclusions:
The GDF-15 level was significantly elevated in subjects with AE-IPF. GDF-15 could be a promising biomarker for AE occurrence and survival in IPF patients.
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