Growth differentiation factor 15: an additional diagnostic tool for the risk stratification of developing heart failure in patients with operated congenital heart defects?
Growth differentiation factor 15 might be used as a surrogate marker for latent heart failure and could help to identify patients with ACHD who are at risk for developing heart failure, even if they are clinically asymptomatic.
IFN-α did not improve peripheral blood HBV-specific T-cell responses in the first 24 weeks of treatment, consistent either with a predominant antiviral/antiproliferative effect or with an immunomodulatory activity on other arms of the immune system which were not analyzed in our study. A better pre-treatment ex vivo IFN-γ production was associated with better chances to control HBV replication during therapy and represents a promising predictor of IFN efficacy.