Clinical utility of GDF15 measurement in Parkinson's disease and the effect of GDF15 on neuroinflammation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15699
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Miyaue Noriyuki 愛媛大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (10785497)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: パーキンソン病 / GDF15 / パーキンソン症候群 / ミクログリア / 神経炎症 / バイオマーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We previously reported that serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) levels are elevated in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we investigated serum GDF15 in patients with parkinsonian syndromes other than PD and the involvement of GDF15 in the pathogenesis of PD. Serum GDF15 levels were increased with age in both patients with PD, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). After accounting for age differences, serum GDF-15 levels were not significantly different between groups. Furthermore, GDF15 mRNA expression was increased in PD model rats, and GDF15 was shown to induce microglia to become inflammatory both in vivo and in vitro.

Free Research Field

神経内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究より、血清GDF15値はPDとパーキンソン症候群（PSP、MSA）患者で差がみられなかったことから、GDF15単独ではこれら疾患の鑑別のバイオマーカーにはならないと考えられる。また、GDF15はミクログリアの活性化し炎症性サイトカイン増加させたとことから、PDの病態の一つである神経炎症に関与している可能性が示唆された。GDF15は、神経疾患のみならず様々な領域で注目されており、その作用については今後もさらなる検討が必要と考えられる。