P1622GROWTH DIFFERENTIATION FACTOR 15: A BIOMARKER WITH HIGH CLINICAL POTENTIAL IN THE EVALUATION OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANT CANDIDATES

Abstract Background and Aims Kidney transplantation results a significant improvement in patient survival. Nevertheless, mortality the first years after transplant remains relatively high, being mostly related to cardiovascular (CV) events. The selection of patients for kidney transplantation includes a general assessment focused on CV status. In spite of that, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of mechanisms leading to vascular disease in this population (not exclusively related to traditional CV risk factors and pathogenesis), this evaluation remains insufficient and not particularly effective. During the last years different strategies have been studied to stratify potential receptors better and optimize organ allocation, including the development of clinical prognostic scores and novel biomarkers. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive member of the TGF-β family. Although its mechanism of action is not completely understood, it acts as a cytokine with effects in regulation of inflammation, metabolism and senescence. In the recent years, interest has arisen regarding its use as a biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification in multiple scenarios. Encouraging results have shown its utility as a biomarker of mortality (all cause and CV), heart failure and acute coronary syndrome in different populations. The aim of this work is to assess the utility of GDF-15 to predict survival in kidney transplant candidates. Method 395 kidney transplant recipients between 2005 and 2015 were included. GDF-15 measurements were performed from stored serum samples obtained pretransplant. The concentration of GDF-15 was analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Quantikine, R&D Systems). Results Patient characteristics are shown in Table 1. The median GDF-15 was 5331.3 (50.49-16242.3) pg/ml. After a mean of 90.6 ± 41.5 months of follow up 82 (20.8%) patients died. Patients were stratified in tertiles according to GDF-15 levels: low (GDF-15 ≤ 4612.1 pg/ml), medium (GDF-15 4612.1-6296.5 pg/ml) and high risk tertile (GDF-15 > 6296.5 pg/ml). Higher GDF-15 concentrations were significantly associated with mortality: HR 2.16 95%CI (1.14-1.44), p = 0.018 for medium tertile and HR 3.28 95%CI (1.79-6.1), p