The Association Among Serum Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Level and Suicidal Ideation is Dependent on Testosterone Deficiency in Depressive Patients

Background: Elevated levels of growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 and reduced levels of testosterone have been linked to depressive disorder, but whether they are also linked to suicidal ideation in patients with depression is unclear. Methods: This retrospective study involved 301 patients >= 22 years old hospitalized for depression between July 2018 and November 2020 at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, of whom 120 had suicidal ideation. Serum levels of GDF-15 and testosterone were compared between patients with or without suicidal ideation. Results: GDF-15 levels were significantly higher among patients with suicidal ideation than among those without, regardless of whether testosterone levels were above or below the median of 314 ng/dL. In multivariate logistic regression involving all patients, serum GDF-15 level was associated with low testosterone level (P=0.001). Among patients with testosterone <314 ng/dL, an increase of 1 standard deviation in serum GDF-15 level translated to a 1.3-fold increase in the risk of suicidal ideation (P=0.007). This relationship was not observed in all population or patients with testosterone levels >= 314 ng/dL. Conclusion: High serum GDF-15 level may be associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation in patients with depression, and this association appears to be partly mediated by low testosterone levels.

Automated summary

Elevated levels of GDF-15 were found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation among patients with depression, with this association partly mediated by low testosterone levels.