Furthermore, given the need for a noninvasive biomarker of PVD in patients with ARDS and the correlation of GDF-15 with elevated right ventricular systolic pressure in patients with scleroderma-associated pulmonary hypertension [10], we sought to determine the utility of GDF-15 levels in the identification of PVD in patients with ARDS enrolled in the FACT Trial. The gene discussed is GDF15; the disease is scleroderma.