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CompletedNCT01166360Updated Mar 15, 2011

The Usefulness of Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) for Risk Stratification in Cardiac Surgery

An observational study in Heart Failure and Coronary Artery Disease, sponsored by University of Luebeck. Completed at 1 site in Germany. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2011-03-15.

Sponsored by University of Luebeck · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
2,000
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Growth determination factor 15 (GDF-15) and high sensitive troponin-t (hsTnT) are emerging humoral markers for risk stratification in clinically stable heart failure patients and in patients with stable coronary artery disease. No data are available about the prognostic value of these peptides in relation to mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Primary objective of the present study is to test the hypothesis, that GDF-15 is superior to a standard preoperative risk score, the additive Euroscore for the prediction of 30 day mortality and postoperative morbidity in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery.

Secondary objectives are to test the predictive value of hsTNT, either alone, or in combination with GDF-15 and if GDF-15 adds additional information to NTproBNP levels and preoperative cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) levels.

Read the detailed description

The study will be based on 2 patient cohorts, a group of patients studied during an observation period (2009) and a validation cohort of patients studied in 2008. The 2009 cohort (about 800 patients) will be analyzed to determine the predictive value of GDF-15 for predicting mortality and morbidity. The 2008 cohort (about 1200 patients) will be used to validate these findings.

Besides conventional morbidity markers, new sensitive markers of organ dysfunction (FABP, NGAL, sFLT-1, PIGF) will also be tested in the 2009 group.

02

Conditions studied

  • Heart Failure
  • Coronary Artery Disease

Keywords

  • Risk prediction
  • Euroscore
  • GDF-15
  • hsTnT
  • cardiac surgery
03

In context

Coronary Artery Disease

5,596 studies on the registry are indexed under Coronary Artery Disease; 955 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 2,000 is above the median of 336 across 1,946 observational studies indexed under Coronary Artery Disease.

Browse Coronary Artery Disease studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Luebeck is the lead sponsor of 74 studies on the registry; 13 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

Consecutive patients undergoing primary cardiac surgery at a University hospital.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients scheduled for cardiac surgery

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Withdrawal of informed consent
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
2,000 participants (actual)
Biospecimen retention
Samples without dna

Groups and cohorts

  • Patients 2009

    Patients undergoing cardiac surgery in 2009

  • Patients 2008

    Patients undergoing cardiac surgery in 2008

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. 30 day mortality

    The predictive accuracy of GDF-15 will be compared with the Euroscore. Since the Euroscore has been calibrated for 30 day mortality, this time frame will be used as primary outcome parameter.

    Time frame: 30 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. 1 year mortality

    1 year mortality is a more relevant outcome variable than 30 day mortality

    Time frame: 365 days

  2. Renal dysfunction defined according to AKI-criteria

    Renal dysfunction is an important outcome variable in cardiac surgery.

    Time frame: 30 days

  3. MaC score as combined measure of postoperative morbidity

    The MACS is a combined score for postoperative complications: low cardiac output syndrome, need for renal replacement therapy, stroke, reintubation.

    Time frame: 30 days

  4. Sensitive markers of organ dysfunction

    Fatty acid binding protein, neutrophyil gelatinase associated lipocalin are sensitive markers of organ dysfunction and shall be used to give more precise information on organ dysfunction.

    Time frame: 4 days

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Department of Anesthesiology, University of Luebeck
    Luebeck, 23568, Germany
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Heringlake M, Charitos EI, Erber K, Berggreen AE, Heinze H, Paarmann H. Preoperative plasma growth-differentiation factor-15 for prediction of acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Crit Care. 2016 Oct 8;20(1):317. doi: 10.1186/s13054-016-1482-3. PubMed 27717384 ↗
  • Heringlake M, Charitos EI, Gatz N, Kabler JH, Beilharz A, Holz D, Schon J, Paarmann H, Petersen M, Hanke T. Growth differentiation factor 15: a novel risk marker adjunct to the EuroSCORE for risk stratification in cardiac surgery patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Feb 12;61(6):672-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.09.059. PubMed 23391200 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 15, 2011, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01166360
Lead sponsor
University of Luebeck
First posted
Jul 21, 2010
Start date
Jan 2008
Primary completion
Dec 2010
Completion
Dec 2010
Last update
Mar 15, 2011

Study contacts

Matthias Heringlake, MD
principal investigator · Department of Anesthesiology, University of Luebeck

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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