Abstract: Objective To find the correlation between growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) plasma level and coronary artery stenosis in patients with chest pain. Methods 158 patients with chest pain were divided into coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAD) group (n =108) and non-CAD group (n =50), according to the results of coronary artery angiography (CAG). Blood samples were obtained before CAG from all patients. GDF15 levels were determined by enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay. Gensini score was used to evaluate the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Results GDF15 levels of the CAD group and non-CAD group were 605±205 ng/L and 359±155 ng/L respectively (P<0.001). GDF15 level was positively related to Gensini score in patients with chest pain (r=0.555，P<0.001), and multiple linear regression analysis showed that circulating level of GDF15 was independently related to Gensini score of the coronary artery (P<0.001). Conclusions GDF15 is a potential biochemical marker for prognosis of the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with chest pain.

Key words: growth differentiation factor 15, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, Biochemical marker