Role of inflammation factors in impaired glucose tolerance and sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome in pregnant women / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possible role of inflammation factors in the pathogenesis of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) with concurrent obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in pregnant women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five pregnant women with IGT and concurrent OSAHS and 35 pregnant women with IGT but not OSAHS were monitored for all night polysomnography (PSG), and the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and the lowest pulse oxygen saturation (LSpO2) were recorded. The body mass index, glycated serum protein (GSP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured in these women.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>IL-6 and TNF-α levels increased significantly in women with IGT and OSAHS as compared with those in women without OSAHS. AHI showed significant positive correlations to GSP, IL-6 and TNF-α, whereas LSpO2 was inversely correlated to GSP, IL-6 and TNF-α. IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly correlated to GSP, with correlation coefficients of 0.510 and 0.476, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The inflammatory factors may play important roles in IGT complicated by OSAHS in pregnant women, and as a potential risk factor, OSAHS may contribute to the occurrence of progression of IGT.</p>

Immune function changes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the potential changes in the immune function of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We carried out a retrospective cross-sectional study of 187 patients with established OSAHS and 20 healthy subjects (control). For all the patients, the medical history was carefully examined, and overnight sleep monitoring was carried out with detection of the humoral and cellular immunity.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We found a significant increase in the levels of C3 and a decrease in both the IgM level and NK cell percentage in OSAHS patients as compared to the control group (P<0.01). Correlation analysis indicated that C3 was positive correlated to AHI but inversely to the lowest pulse oxygen saturation (LSpO(2)); IgM showed a mild positively correlation to LSpO(2), and NK cells had a mild inverse correlation to AHI. The other immunological indices were not found to undergo noticeable changes or show correlations in OSAHS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Immune function changes occur in patients with OSAHS, characterized primarily by deteriorations in the humoral and cellular immunity.</p>