Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40708105›Full record

ArticleEuropean eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association2026

GDF15 Is Elevated in Eating Disorders and Is Involved in the Gut-Brain Axis via Ghrelin.

Livio Tarchi, Giulia Brancolini, Sara Giachetti, Gaia Maiolini, Emanuele Cassioli, Eleonora Rossi, Gianluca Villa, Rachele Garella, Roberta Squecco, Paolo Rovero and 5 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. GDF15 Is Elevated in Eating Disorders and Is Involved in the Gut-Brain Axis via Ghrelin.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026
    Article
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

15 authors.

Livio TarchiDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9931-5621
Giulia BrancoliniDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Sara GiachettiDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0009-0006-6111-7044
Gaia MaioliniDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0009-0006-8271-1640
Emanuele CassioliDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3623-7096
Eleonora RossiDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4755-3879
Gianluca VillaDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4274-3593
Rachele GarellaDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3194-7603
Roberta SqueccoDepartment of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6534-3675
Paolo RoveroDepartment of Neuroscience, Psychology, Pharmacology and Infant Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9577-5228
Paolo ComeglioDepartment of Experimental, Clinical, and Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Valdo RiccaDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9291-2124
Francesco De LoguDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-8360-6929
Romina NassiniDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9223-8395
Giovanni CastelliniDepartment of Health Sciences, Center for Integrated Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer (INCLINE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1265-491X

Funding

Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca PE0000006National Recovery and Resilience PlanNGEUUniversità degli Studi di Firenze
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveGDF15 induces anorexia and visceral discomfort, regulating appetite, food intake and potentially metabolic responses. However, its role in eating disorders remains unexplored.

methodA total of 145 participants were recruited (60 patients with anorexia nervosa, 20 with bulimia nervosa, 13 with binge eating disorder, 52 participants from the general population). Ghrelin and GDF15 serum levels were measured with immunosorbent assay kits.

resultsGhrelin was elevated in patients with an eating disorder compared to healthy controls (age and BMI-adjusted ANCOVA, F-value 4.084, p-value 0.008). GDF15 was significantly correlated with ghrelin (Spearman rho 0.430, p-value < 0.001) and BMI (rho = -0.176, p-value = 0.025). GDF15 predicted the BMI of patients with anorexia nervosa and individuals from the general population, again being elevated at lower BMI (linear regression beta -0.254, p-value 0.005). The effect of GDF15 on BMI was observed as under the mediation of ghrelin (direct effect -0.056, p-value 0.577; indirect effect -0.199, p-value < 0.001).

conclusionsPresent results provide novel insights into the role of GDF15 in eating disorders, describing its serum level in this clinical population for the first time. In addition, a positive correlation between GDF15 and ghrelin serum levels is also reported for the first time.

Indexed as

Anorexia NervosaBrain-Gut AxisBulimia NervosaFeeding and Eating DisordersGhrelinGrowth Differentiation Factor 15AdolescentAdultBody Mass IndexFemaleHumansMaleYoung AdultGDF15 protein, humanGhrelinGrowth Differentiation Factor 15appetite controlmetabolic regulationMIC‐1neuroendocrine signallingweight dysregulation

Identifiers

PMID40708105
PMCPMC12694699

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.