Lipids & metabolic liver disease
Circulating total and H-specific GDF15 levels are elevated in subjects with MASLD but not in hyperlipidemic but otherwise metabolically healthy subjects with obesity
Authors' conclusion
Serum GDF15 levels do not differ in relation to weight status in hyperlipidemic but otherwise metabolically healthy individuals. In contrast, GDF15 levels are significantly increased in MASLD patients at baseline and they remain significantly higher compared to healthy participants during OGTT, pointing to a role for GDF15 as a mitokine with important roles in the pathophysiology and possibly therapeutics of MASLD.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with normal weight or obesity (study 1) and adults with MASLD and controls (study 2)27 evaluated in study 2
- Comparison
- Obesity vs normal weight; MASLD vs controls
- Obesityn = 15
- Normal weightn = 15reference
- Outcome
- Fasting and stimulated levels of total and H-specific GDF15, GIP and C-peptide
Methodological detailstwo physiology interventional studies, mixed meal test, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
- Two physiology interventional studies
- Mixed meal test
- OGTT
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Total and H-specific GDF15, GIP and C-peptide
- Study 1: fasting and postprandial total and H-specific GDF15 similar between weight groups
- Study 1: GIP markedly higher in leaner individuals, upregulated after mixed meal test (MMT)
- Study 1: baseline and postprandial C-peptide and its overall AUC markedly elevated with obesity vs lean
- Study 2: fasting total GDF15 similar; postprandial total GDF15 significantly higher in MASLD vs controls
- Study 2: GIP and C-peptide unaffected
- Study 2: postprandial GDF15 course clustered with TG and alanine-cycle molecules; most notable differentiating molecule between healthy and MASLD
Further findings
- Robust positive correlations of total and H-specific GDF15 iAUC with many lipid subspecies, significant after adjustment for confounders
- Exploratory
Original publication
Circulating total and H-specific GDF15 levels are elevated in subjects with MASLD but not in hyperlipidemic but otherwise metabolically healthy subjects with obesity. Cardiovasc Diabetol. Published 18 May 2024. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →