GROWTH DIFFERENTIATION FACTOR 15 AS A POTENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKER FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Background

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the significance of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) in diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objective

To determine the role of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) as a potential biomarker in diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methodology

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using search strings including “rheumatoid arthritis” and “growth differentiation factor 15” across multiple electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane library. The protocols of the systematic review were registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Moreover, this systematic review is aligned by the Preferred Reporting Project for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) website

Result

A total of 469 documents were retrieved, and five clinical studies were ultimately included. In the included studies, GDF-15 serum levels were found to be notably greater in RA patients than in healthy individuals, and these levels exhibited a positive correlation with disease severity. Furthermore, increased GDF-15 serum levels were associated with specific gene variations in RA patients, but varied according to ethnicity. In two included studies, GDF-15 showed high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for highly active RA, demonstrating its utility as a diagnostic biomarker of RA.

Conclusion

GDF-15 expression is increased in RA patients and is associated with disease activity; thus, GDF-15 is potentially an effective diagnostic biomarker for RA. However, additional high-quality studies, especially randomized controlled trials and cohort studies with follow-up data, are needed to assess the role of GDF-15 in RA.