Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 levels are more strongly associated with host physiological status than with tumor progression in colorectal cancer
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
- 2Department of Investigative Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
- 3Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University
- 4Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University
- 5Department of Biomedical Engineering Regenerative and Biomedical Engineering Medical Science, Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering
- 6Tohoku University Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine
- 7Department of Medical Oncology, Tohoku University Hospital
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.
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BibTeX
@article{kaise2026plasma,
title = {{Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 levels are more strongly associated with host physiological status than with tumor progression in colorectal cancer}},
author = {Tasuku Kaise and Hideaki Karasawa and Keigo Murakami and Toru Tamahara and Yoshihiro Sato and Ichiro Ise and Tomoyuki Ono and Taiki Kajiwara and Hideyuki Suzuki and Yohei Ozawa and Shinji Fukuda and Chitose Suzuki and Yasunobu Okamura and Hidekazu Shirota and Toru Furukawa and Takaaki Abe and Takashi Kamei and Shinobu Ohnuma and Michiaki Unno},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Plasma growth differentiation factor 15 levels are more strongly associated with host physiological status than with tumor progression in colorectal cancer
AU - Tasuku Kaise
AU - Hideaki Karasawa
AU - Keigo Murakami
AU - Toru Tamahara
AU - Yoshihiro Sato
AU - Ichiro Ise
AU - Tomoyuki Ono
AU - Taiki Kajiwara
AU - Hideyuki Suzuki
AU - Yohei Ozawa
AU - Shinji Fukuda
AU - Chitose Suzuki
AU - Yasunobu Okamura
AU - Hidekazu Shirota
AU - Toru Furukawa
AU - Takaaki Abe
AU - Takashi Kamei
AU - Shinobu Ohnuma
AU - Michiaki Unno
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-70270-6
AB - 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.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -