Plasma growth differentiation factor-15 in children with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease: A canary in the mine?

We aimed to investigate the prognostic values of plasma growth differentiation factor-15 to predict adverse outcome in children with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease. Forty children with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease were enrolled as group I and 40 patients with congenital heart disease and no pulmonary hypertension of matched age, sex and type of congenital heart disease were enrolled as group II. Forty healthy children of matched age and sex served as a control group. Echocardiographic examinations and growth differentiation factor-15 levels were performed for all included children. Cardiac catheterization was performed to congenital heart disease patients only. All patients were followed up for adverse outcome in the form of death or readmission for 1 year. Growth differentiation factor-15 levels were significantly increased in children with pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease (0.59 ± 0.29) compared to congenital heart disease only patients (0.25 ± 0.04) and to control group (0.15 ± 0.03) with P