{
  "abstract": "Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive cytokine associated with aging, nutritional status, and malignancy. However, whether plasma GDF-15 primarily reflects tumor progression or host physiological status in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. Accordingly, we conducted an integrated analysis of 70 patients with CRC and 63 healthy individuals, evaluating plasma GDF-15 levels, tumor GDF-15 expression, and gut microbiota profiles. Plasma GDF-15 levels were significantly associated with age, serum albumin levels, nutritional impairment, and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification. Although plasma GDF-15 levels were associated with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and pathological stage in univariable analyses, these associations were no longer significant after adjustment for age and serum albumin. Tumor GDF-15 expression was not correlated with plasma GDF-15 levels or tumor progression-related variables. Gut microbiota analyses revealed differences in microbial diversity and phylum-level composition according to plasma GDF-15 levels, although part of these differences appeared to be influenced by age. Overall, plasma GDF-15 in CRC is more strongly associated with host physiological status, including age- and nutrition-related background factors, than with tumor progression. Plasma GDF-15 may therefore serve as a complementary biomarker reflecting systemic host vulnerability in CRC.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine",
    "Department of Investigative Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine",
    "Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University",
    "Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University",
    "Department of Biomedical Engineering Regenerative and Biomedical Engineering Medical Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering",
    "Tohoku University Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine",
    "Department of Medical Oncology, Tohoku University Hospital"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 19,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tasuku Kaise"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hideaki Karasawa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Keigo Murakami"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Toru Tamahara"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yoshihiro Sato"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ichiro Ise"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Tomoyuki Ono"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Taiki Kajiwara"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Hideyuki Suzuki"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yohei Ozawa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Shinji Fukuda"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Chitose Suzuki"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Yasunobu Okamura"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Hidekazu Shirota"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Toru Furukawa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Takaaki Abe"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Takashi Kamei"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shinobu Ohnuma"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Michiaki Unno"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1bp3fprc6fed1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6",
  "fulltext_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6",
  "id": "1bp3fprc6fed1",
  "issns": [
    "2045-2322"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "Q"
    ],
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      "lcc",
      "R"
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      "openalex",
      "2745|GDF15 and Related Biomarkers"
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  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-70270-6_reference.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-01",
  "publisher": "Nature Portfolio",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1bp3fprc6fed1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:45:54Z",
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  "subjects": [
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      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2745|GDF15 and Related Biomarkers",
      "subfield": "general"
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  "title": "Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 levels are more strongly associated with host physiological status than with tumor progression in colorectal cancer",
  "title_text": "Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 levels are more strongly associated with host physiological status than with tumor progression in colorectal cancer",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T13:45:54Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1bp3fprc6fed1",
  "venue": "Scientific Reports",
  "versions": []
}