Growth differentiation factor 15 alters intestinal barrier and increases permeability: A new molecular target in inflammatory bowel disease

Figure 2 Correlation between circulating levels of growth differentiation factor 15 and blood markers. A: Correlation between plasma levels of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and plasma levels of C-reactive protein. Sample size: Healthy controls (HC) = 23 pairs, Crohn’s disease patients (CD) = 21 pairs, ulcerative colitis patients (UC) = 15 pairs, myocardial infarction patients (MI) = 18 pairs; B: Correlation between plasma levels of GDF15 and plasma levels of haptoglobin. Sample size: HC = 18 pairs, CD = 14 pairs, UC = 18 pairs; C: Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein levels across different subject groups. Sample size: HC = 24, CD = 21, UC = 17, MI = 11; D: Correlation between plasma levels of GDF15 and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein. Sample size: HC = 22 pairs, CD = 20 pairs, UC = 17 pairs, MI = 13. ^aP < 0.05 in a Mann-Whitney test combining CD and UC patients. ^bP < 0.01 in a Mann-Whitney test. CRP: C-reactive protein; GDF: Growth differentiation factor; LBP: Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein.