Of the 69 host proteins measured in serum samples, the levels of D-dimer, ADAMTS13, serum amyloid A (SAA), ferritin, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1)/CCL2 and growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 were higher in children who had TBM-related stroke compared to the TBM without stroke group, whereas the concentrations of IL-13 were increased in children with TBM without-stroke compared to TBM with stroke. The gene discussed is GDF15; the disease is meningeal tuberculosis.