Lok et al. evaluated the GDF-15 levels in patients with NIDCM during left ventricular assist device support and observed that elevated circulating levels of GDF-15 correlate with the degree of myocardial fibrosis and decrease strongly to near-normal levels within 1 month of left ventricular assist device support [97]. The gene discussed is GDF15; the disease is Myocardial fibrosis.