Relationship of serum nesfatin-1 levels with body mass index and c-reactive protein in patients presenting to the emergency department with epileptic seizures

Introduction Reliable biomarkers reflecting acute seizure activity in patients presenting to the emergency department remain insufficiently defined. This study aimed to compare serum nesfatin-1 levels in patients presenting with epileptic seizures and healthy controls, and to evaluate their associations with clinical, demographic, and inflammatory parameters.Methods This cross-sectional study included 216 participants, comprising 131 patients admitted to the emergency department due to epileptic seizures and 85 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, antiseizure medication use, seizure features, and laboratory parameters were recorded. Serum nesfatin-1 concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and correlations were analyzed with Spearman’s correlation coefficient.Results Serum nesfatin-1 levels were significantly higher in patients with epileptic seizures compared with controls (p < 0.001). C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were also elevated in the patient group (p < 0.05). Nesfatin-1 concentrations showed positive correlations with age, CRP levels, and seizure duration, and negative correlations with height and body weight (all p < 0.05). Additionally, sex, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, and type of antiseizure medication were significantly associated with circulating nesfatin-1 levels.Conclusion Serum nesfatin-1 levels are elevated in patients presenting with epileptic seizures and are associated with inflammatory markers, seizure duration, and metabolic parameters. These findings suggest that nesfatin-1 may reflect integrated neuroinflammatory and metabolic responses occurring during acute seizure episodes. Further prospective studies are required to determine its clinical utility and prognostic value.