The Common H202D Variant in GDF-15 Does Not Affect Its Bioactivity but Can Significantly Interfere with Measurement of Its Circulating Levels

• Published in: The journal of applied laboratory medicine 2022-10, Vol.7 (6), p.1388-1400
• Main Authors: Karusheva, Yanislava, Ratcliff, Matthew, Mörseburg, Alexander, Barker, Peter, Melvin, Audrey, Sattar, Naveed, Burling, Keith, Backmark, Anna, Roth, Robert, Jermutus, Lutz, Guiu-Jurado, Esther, Blüher, Matthias, Welsh, Paul, Hyvönen, Marko, O'Rahilly, Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Growth Differentiation Factor 15 - genetics; Humans; Immunoassay
• ISSN: 2576-9456; 2475-7241; 2475-7241
• DOI: 10.1093/jalm/jfac055

There is growing interest in the measurement of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) in a range of disorders associated with cachexia. We undertook studies to determine whether a common histidine (H) to aspartate (D) variant at position 202 in the pro-peptide (position 6 in the mature peptide) interfered with its detection by 3 of the most commonly used immunoassays. Three synthetic GDF-15-forms (HH homo-, HD hetero-, and DD-homodimers) were measured after serial dilution using Roche Elecsys®, R&D QuantikineTM ELISA, and MSD R&D DuoSet® immunoassays. GDF-15 concentrations were measured by the Roche and the MSD R&D immunoassays in 173 genotyped participants (61 HH homozygotes, 59 HD heterozygotes, and 53 DD homozygotes). For the comparative statistical analyses of the GDF-15 concentrations, we used non-parametric tests, in particular Bland-Altman difference (bias) plots and Passing-Bablok regression. The bioactivity of the 2 different homodimers was compared in a cell-based assay in HEK293S-SRF-RET/GFRAL cells. The Roche assay detected H- and D-containing peptides similarly but the R&D reagents (Quantikine and DuoSet) consistently underreported GDF-15 concentrations in the presence of the D variant. DD dimers had recoveries of approximately 45% while HD dimers recoveries were 62% to 78%. In human serum samples, the GDF-15 concentrations reported by the R&D assay were a median of 4% lower for HH, a median of 36% lower for HD, and a median of 61% lower for DD compared to the Roche assay. The bioactivities of the HH and DD peptides were indistinguishable. The D variant of GDF-15 substantially affects its measurement by a commonly used immunoassay, a finding that has clear implications for its interpretation in research and clinical settings.