{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T00:49:20Z","timestamp":1792025360444,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]],"date-time":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774569600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Doctoral School of George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219","award":["ct 8628\/19\/03.10.2022"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ct 8628\/19\/03.10.2022"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) support mucosal integrity and reduce inflammation, while nesfatin-1 is a neuropeptide with antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anorexigenic actions. Their roles in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and links to quality of life (QoL) are unclear. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including adults with Crohn\u2019s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and healthy controls (HC). Serum total short-chain fatty acids and nesfatin-1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Quality of life was assessed using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ). Group comparisons and correlation analyses were performed using non-parametric statistical methods. Results: Serum total SCFA concentrations did not differ significantly between patients with CD, UC, and HC (p = 0.29). Nesfatin-1 levels showed between-group variability, with lower values in CD compared with healthy controls, while patients with UC showed intermediate and variable levels (p = 0.064). An inverse correlation between SCFAs and nesfatin-1 was observed in UC and in the combined IBD cohort, but not in CD. Quality of life was comparably impaired in CD and UC. No statistically significant associations were observed between serum SCFAs or nesfatin-1 and IBDQ scores. Conclusions: In this pilot exploratory study, circulating SCFAs and nesfatin-1 showed distinct patterns across IBD subtypes, with evidence of subtype-specific associations between these biomarkers. However, no relationship with quality of life was demonstrated. Larger longitudinal studies are required to confirm these findings and clarify their clinical relevance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15072581","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]],"date-time":"2026-03-27T15:45:42Z","timestamp":1774626342000},"page":"2581","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Serum SCFA and Nesfatin-1 Patterns in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pilot Exploratory Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6185-8591","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paul","family":"Grama","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"M3 Department, Discipline of Internal Medicine 1, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, 540139 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, T\u00e2rgu Mures Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 540136 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"},{"name":"Doctoral School, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, 540139 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5074-6212","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tam\u00e1s","family":"Ily\u00e9s","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Biochemistry, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-3405-4482","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Naomi-Adina","family":"Ciurea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"M3 Department, Discipline of Internal Medicine 1, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, 540139 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, T\u00e2rgu Mures Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 540136 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Radu-Alexandru","family":"F\u0103rca\u0219","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Department of Internal Medicine, \u201cIuliu Ha\u0163ieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"B\u0103\u021bag\u0103","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"M3 Department, Discipline of Internal Medicine 1, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, 540139 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, T\u00e2rgu Mures Emergency Clinical County Hospital, 540136 T\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1093\/ecco-jcc\/jjy113","article-title":"ECCO-ESGAR Guideline for Diagnostic Assessment in IBD Part 1: Initial Diagnosis, Monitoring of Known IBD, Detection of Complications","volume":"13","author":"Maaser","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Crohn\u2019s Colitis"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhu, M.T., and Lee, J.W.J. (2025). Therapeutic Potential of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Gastrointestinal Diseases. Nutraceuticals, 5.","DOI":"10.3390\/nutraceuticals5030019"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kaczmarczyk, O., D\u0105bek-Drobny, A., Wo\u017aniakiewicz, M., Pa\u015bko, P., Dobrowolska-Iwanek, J., Wo\u017aniakiewicz, A., Pi\u0105tek-Guziewicz, A., Zagrodzki, P., Mach, T., and Zwoli\u0144ska-Wcis\u0142o, M. (2021). Fecal Levels of Lactic, Succinic and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn Disease: A Pilot Study. J. Clin. Med., 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm10204701"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Parada Venegas, D., De la Fuente, M.K., Landskron, G., Gonz\u00e1lez, M.J., Quera, R., Dijkstra, G., Harmsen, H.J.M., Faber, K.N., and Hermoso, M.A. (2019). Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs)-Mediated Gut Epithelial and Immune Regulation and Its Relevance for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Front. Immunol., 10.","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2019.00277"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Damian-Buda, A.C., Matei, D.M., Ciobanu, L., Damian-Buda, D.Z., Pop, R.M., Buzoianu, A.D., and Bocsan, I.C. (2024). Nesfatin-1: A Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Digestive Diseases. Biomedicines, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/biomedicines12081913"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1021","DOI":"10.1507\/endocrj.EJ13-0236","article-title":"Recent Progress in Research on the Distribution and Function of NUCB2\/Nesfatin-1 in Peripheral Tissues [Review]","volume":"60","author":"Cao","year":"2013","journal-title":"Endocr. J."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1159\/000338503","article-title":"MTOR-Dependent Modulation of Gastric Nesfatin-1\/NUCB2","volume":"29","author":"Li","year":"2012","journal-title":"Cell. Physiol. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"662","DOI":"10.1210\/en.2008-0598","article-title":"Peripheral Administration of Nesfatin-1 Reduces Food Intake in Mice: The Leptin-Independent Mechanism","volume":"150","author":"Shimizu","year":"2009","journal-title":"Endocrinology"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1016\/j.peptides.2017.01.005","article-title":"Nesfatin-1 Modulates Murine Gastric Vagal Afferent Mechanosensitivity in a Nutritional State Dependent Manner","volume":"89","author":"Kentish","year":"2017","journal-title":"Peptides"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.33549\/physiolres.933347","article-title":"Nesfatin-1 Influences the Excitability of Gastric Distension-Responsive Neurons in the Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus of Rats","volume":"66","author":"Feng","year":"2017","journal-title":"Physiol. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9334","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-018-27592-x","article-title":"Nesfatin-1 in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Influences Visceral Sensitivity via 5-HT Neurons in Male Maternally Separated Rats","volume":"8","author":"Zhang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ily\u00e9s, T., Grama, P., Gheorghe, S.R., Anton, V., Silaghi, C.N., and Cr\u0103ciun, A.M. (2025). Leptin, Nesfatin-1, Glucagon-like Peptide 1, and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Colon Cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Gastroenterol. Insights, 16.","DOI":"10.3390\/gastroent16030032"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"424","DOI":"10.1038\/ijo.2014.153","article-title":"The Short Chain Fatty Acid Propionate Stimulates GLP-1 and PYY Secretion via Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 in Rodents","volume":"39","author":"Psichas","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Obes."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1007\/s10735-007-9145-y","article-title":"Expression of the Short-Chain Fatty Acid Receptor, GPR43, in the Human Colon","volume":"39","author":"Karaki","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Mol. Histol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Priyadarshini, M., Lednovich, K., Xu, K., Gough, S., Wicksteed, B., and Layden, B.T. (2021). FFAR from the Gut Microbiome Crowd: SCFA Receptors in T1D Pathology. Metabolites, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo11050302"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1045","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2637002100","article-title":"Short-Chain Fatty Acids Stimulate Leptin Production in Adipocytes through the G Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR41","volume":"101","author":"Xiong","year":"2004","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"804","DOI":"10.1016\/S0016-5085(89)80080-0","article-title":"A New Measure of Health Status for Clinical Trials in Inflammatory Bowel Disease","volume":"96","author":"Guyatt","year":"1989","journal-title":"Gastroenterology"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"ovaf111","DOI":"10.1093\/lambio\/ovaf111","article-title":"A Study on Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease from Northwest Iran","volume":"78","author":"Saedi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Lett. Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"655","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-019-1237-9","article-title":"Multi-Omics of the Gut Microbial Ecosystem in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases","volume":"569","author":"Arze","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yan, H., and Ajuwon, K.M. (2017). Butyrate Modifies Intestinal Barrier Function in IPEC-J2 Cells through a Selective Upregulation of Tight Junction Proteins and Activation of the Akt Signaling Pathway. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0179586"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3126","DOI":"10.1007\/s10620-012-2259-4","article-title":"Butyrate Enhances Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function via Up-Regulation of Tight Junction Protein Claudin-1 Transcription","volume":"57","author":"Wang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Dig. Dis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109155","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jnutbio.2022.109155","article-title":"Treatment with Butyrate Alleviates Dextran Sulfate Sodium and Clostridium Difficile-Induced Colitis by Preventing Activity of Th17 Cells via Regulation of SIRT1\/MTOR in Mice","volume":"111","author":"Wang","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Nutr. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yan, D., Ye, S., He, Y., Wang, S., Xiao, Y., Xiang, X., Deng, M., Luo, W., Chen, X., and Wang, X. (2023). Fatty Acids and Lipid Mediators in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Mechanism to Treatment. Front. Immunol., 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2023.1286667"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1294","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chom.2021.06.019","article-title":"Multi-Omics Reveal Microbial Determinants Impacting Responses to Biologic Therapies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease","volume":"29","author":"Lee","year":"2021","journal-title":"Cell Host Microbe"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"446","DOI":"10.1136\/postgradmedj-2020-139227","article-title":"Increased Serum Nesfatin-1 Levels in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases","volume":"98","author":"Beyaz","year":"2022","journal-title":"Postgrad. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Silva, Y.P., Bernardi, A., and Frozza, R.L. (2020). The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids from Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication. Front. Endocrinol., 11.","DOI":"10.3389\/fendo.2020.00025"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1038\/nn.4476","article-title":"Interactions between the Microbiota, Immune and Nervous Systems in Health and Disease","volume":"20","author":"Fung","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moran, G.W., and Thapaliya, G. (2021). The Gut\u2013Brain Axis and Its Role in Controlling Eating Behavior in Intestinal Inflammation. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13030981"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.5152\/etd.2015.0023","article-title":"Possible Activation of the Immune System by Chronic Peripheral Nesfatin-1 Application at the Acute Phase of Ischemia\/Reperfusion Injury","volume":"37","author":"Toru","year":"2015","journal-title":"Erciyes T\u0131p Derg.\/Erciyes Med. J."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1186\/s13019-022-01952-1","article-title":"Nesfatin-1 Alleviated Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury through Regulating Inflammatory Response Associated with Macrophages Modulation","volume":"17","author":"Cheng","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. Cardiothorac. Surg."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1186\/1742-2094-6-27","article-title":"Central Nesfatin-1-Expressing Neurons Are Sensitive to Peripheral Inflammatory Stimulus","volume":"6","author":"Bonnet","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Neuroinflamm."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.17116\/dokgastro20251403144","article-title":"Potential Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in the Development of Extraintestinal Manifestations of Crohn\u2019s Disease","volume":"14","author":"Bakulin","year":"2025","journal-title":"Russ. J. Evid.-Based Gastroenterol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1186\/s12964-022-00869-5","article-title":"Regulatory Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease","volume":"20","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cell Commun. Signal."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103293","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ebiom.2021.103293","article-title":"Short Chain Fatty Acids and Its Producing Organisms: An Overlooked Therapy for IBD?","volume":"66","author":"Deleu","year":"2021","journal-title":"eBioMedicine"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tan, J., McKenzie, C., Potamitis, M., Thorburn, A.N., Mackay, C.R., and Macia, L. (2014). The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Health and Disease, Elsevier Inc.. [1st ed.].","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-800100-4.00003-9"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1038\/s41575-019-0157-3","article-title":"The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Microbiota\u2013Gut\u2013Brain Communication","volume":"16","author":"Dalile","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1007\/s00018-022-04193-6","article-title":"\u201cSibling\u201d Battle or Harmony: Crosstalk between Nesfatin-1 and Ghrelin","volume":"79","author":"Chen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Cell. Mol. Life Sci."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"345","DOI":"10.1080\/07315724.2019.1646678","article-title":"Effects of Nesfatin-1 on Food Intake and Hyperglycemia","volume":"39","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Am. Coll. Nutr."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/7\/2581\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T04:12:27Z","timestamp":1774843947000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/7\/2581"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15072581"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15072581","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,27]]}}}