Localized expression and role of full-length growth differentiation factor 15 in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Purpose Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is one of the key cachexia-inducible factors. Clinical trials on therapies targeting GDF-15 for cancer and cancer cachexia are underway. While the role of circulating GDF-15 in cachexia has been clarified, the effects of GDF-15 expression within cancer cells remain to be fully elucidated. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the expression of GDF-15 in advanced lung cancer tissues and to understand its role in cachexia. Methods We retrospectively examined the expression level of full-length GDF-15 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer tissues and analyzed the relationship between the staining intensity and clinical data in 53 samples. Results We found that 52.8% of the total samples were GDF-15 positive, and the GDF-15 expression significantly correlated with better nutrition and a low inflammation state. It did not correlate with the existence of cancer cachexia and overall survival. Patients with GDF-15-positive expression tended to have better survival than those with GDF-15-negative expression. Conclusion Thus, tumor GDF-15 and its family of cytokines are diverse. It is necessary to characterize their role in cancer cachexia and identify whether GDF-15 can be a predictive biomarker for cachexia in non-small cell lung cancer, which could lead to better therapeutic strategies targeting GDF-15.