Effects and significance of CPAP on plasma TNF-α levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

Objective: To investigate the plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels and the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on plasma TNF-α levels in OSAHS patients. Methods: 48 male patients with OSAHS were recruited and divided into mild OSAHS group (n=16), moderate OSAHS group(n=15) and severe OSAHS group(n=17). 16 healthy male with matched age and BMI were selected as control group. 13 patients with moderate-to-severe OSAHS underwent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for 90 days. The levels of Plasma TNF-α were measured by ELISA. Correlation of TNF-α with AHI and minimal pulse oxygen saturation (miniSpO2) were analyzed in OSAHS patients. Results: Compared with control group (9.29±1.74 pg/ml), there were significant increase in mild group (11.49±1.32 pg/ml), moderate group (13.29±1.73 pg/ml), and severe group (14.74±2.72 pg/ml) (P0.001). Moreover, there were significant differences in TNF-α level among three OSAHS groups. As the degrees of OSAHS become more severe, TNF-α level became higher. Pearson analysis indicated that TNF-α level were positively correlated with AHI(r=0.714, P0. 001), but were negatively correlated with miniSpO2(r=-0.601, P0.001). After day 90 of CPAP treatment, plasma IL-18 levels were strikingly declined (P0.001). Conclusion: CPAP treatment may in a long run slow down or prevent the development of AS in OSAHS patients.