Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40497366›Full record

ArticleHIV medicine2025

Circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 and growth differentiation factor 15 are associated with severity of hepatic steatosis in people with HIV.

Paula Debroy, F Pike, S Gawrieh, K E Corey, S Hartig, A Balasubramanyam, K Ailstock, N Funderburg, J E Lake

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in HIV medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Paula DebroyInfectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9887-0300
F PikeGastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
S GawriehGastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
K E CoreyMassachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
S HartigEndocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
A BalasubramanyamEndocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
K AilstockDivision of Medical Laboratory Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
N FunderburgDivision of Medical Laboratory Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
J E LakeInfectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.

Funding

Integrated Therapies for Alcohol use in Alcohol-associated Liver Disease (ITAALD) - Indiana University Data Coordinating CenterU24AA026969 · NIAAA · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI SAMER GAWRIEH, WANZHU TU · 2018 to 2026
$20.2M
METABOLIC IMPACTS OF TYPE II INTERFERON SIGNALS IN OBESITYR01DK114356 · NIDDK · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI HARTIG, SEAN · 2017 to 2025
$4.6M
Metabolic impact of FGF-21 in adipose tissue and liver of PLWHR01DK126042 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI LAKE, JORDAN E · 2020 to 2024
$3.4M
Fatty liver in HIV infected individualsR01DK112293 · NIDDK · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI GAWRIEH, SAMER · 2017 to 2021
$1.8M
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases R01DK112293National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases R01DK126042NIAAA NIH HHS U24 AA026969NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK112293NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK114356NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK126042
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHepatic steatosis poses a significant health burden in people with HIV. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) production from the liver regulates glucose metabolism. Higher serum levels of FGF21 are associated with hepatic steatosis and liver fibrosis in the general population. Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) secretion from the liver is also upregulated in chronic inflammatory diseases and is associated with cardiovascular dysfunction in people with HIV. Here, we measured serum FGF21 and GDF15 concentrations in people with HIV and hepatic steatosis.

methodsA total of 177 people with HIV with no other known cause of liver disease underwent vibration-controlled transient elastography for controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) quantification. Hepatic steatosis was defined as CAP ≥ 263 dB/m and advanced fibrosis as LSM > 12 kPa. Fasting serum total FGF21 and GDF15 concentrations were measured by ELISA. Relationships between biomarkers and hepatic parameters were analysed using a Censored Tobit Model.

resultsParticipants with hepatic steatosis exhibited significantly higher mean (SD) levels of serum FGF21 (p = 0.002) and GDF15 (p = 0.02) than participants without steatosis. FGF21 levels increased with BMI (p = 0.04). Higher FGF21 and GDF15 levels correlated modestly with higher CAP (FGF21 r = 0.30, p < 0.001; GDF15 r = 0.21, p = 0.01) and LSM scores (FGF21 r = 0.25, p < 0.001; GDF15 r = 0.27, p = 0.01). FGF21 concentrations were 40% higher and GDF15 17% higher in persons with steatosis. Participants with the highest FGF21 levels (quartile 4) showed significantly higher mean CAP and LSM values, and longer mean duration of HIV compared with persons in quartile 1. Similar trends were also seen with GDF15 level quartiles.

conclusionsPeople with HIV and hepatic steatosis had higher levels of serum FGF21 and GDF15 than those without steatosis, and levels correlated with disease severity. FGF21 and GDF15 may aid in identifying people with HIV at risk of steatotic liver disease.

Indexed as

Fatty LiverFibroblast Growth FactorsGrowth Differentiation Factor 15HIV InfectionsAdultBiomarkersElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSeverity of Illness IndexBiomarkersFGF21 protein, humanfibroblast growth factor 21Fibroblast Growth FactorsGDF15 protein, humanGrowth Differentiation Factor 15biomarkersfatty liver diseaseHIVMASLDobesity

Identifiers

PMID40497366
PMCPMC12229270

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.