Evaluation of heavy metal levels in acute ischemic stroke cases with GDF-15 biomarker

OBJECTIVE AND HYPOTHESIS: This study was conducted to investigate the association between growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) levels and heavy metal concentrations in patients with acute ischemic stroke , and to evaluate the potential utility of GDF-15 as a clinical biomarker. The hypothesis of this study is that GDF-15 levels and heavy metal concentrations may have a significant impact on stroke severity and clinical course. METHOD: In this prospectively designed study, 64 patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke and 64 healthy controls similar in terms of age and gender were evaluated. Serum GDF-15 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and heavy metal levels were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in biological samples obtained from the participants. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and other relevant clinical parameters were used to assess stroke severity. Statistical analyses of the study were performed using the SPSS 29 package program. RESULTS: GDF-15 levels were found to be significantly higher in the acute ischemic stroke group compared to the control group (p<0.001). Heavy metal analysis revealed that lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) levels were significantly elevated in the stroke group compared to the control group. A positive correlation was found between NIHSS score, GDF-15 levels and Pb, GDF 15. Furthermore, GDF-15 levels were found to vary according to gender, age, and stroke etiology. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that GDF-15 may serve as a potential clinical marker in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Further research is needed to better understand the role of elevated heavy metal levels in the pathophysiology of stroke. The findings offer novel approaches for the clinical application of GDF-15 and heavy metals as biomarkers. Keywords: Acute Ischemic Stroke, GDF-15, Heavy Metals, NIHSS Score, Biomarker