Nesfatin-1 as a Potential Biomarker for Ischemic Stroke: A Case-Controlled Study of a Comparative Analysis of Patients with and Without Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis

Abstract

Objectives: Recently, the need for early diagnosis of modifiable risk factors involved in the etiology of stroke has been highlighted in the literature. Nesfatin-1 is a peptide expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues and has been used as a biomarker in recent years. This study aimed to determine the association of ischemic stroke with internal carotid artery stenosis according to nesfatin-1 level and whether it could be used as a biomarker. Methods: A total of 118 patients were included in the study. Three groups were defined: acute stroke patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis, acute stroke patients without internal carotid artery stenosis, and a control group. Nesfatin-1 levels were measured and compared. Results: The median value was 22 pg/mL in acute stroke patients with internal carotid artery stenosis, 24.3 pg/mL in acute stroke patients without internal carotid artery stenosis, and 46.4 pg/mL in the control group. There is a difference between the median values of nesfatin-1 according to the stroke groups with the control group (p p Conclusions: Although we found that nesfatin-1 levels were lower in ischemic stroke patients compared to controls, its diagnostic potential indicates a moderate discriminatory ability with an AUC value of 0.773. Therefore, whether it is suitable for clinical use will be demonstrated by studies in larger and multicenter cohorts.

Keywords

• stroke
• biomarker
• internal carotid artery
• stenosis
• nesfatin-1