Effects of oxygen administration on the circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Repeated nocturnal hypoxia is implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular complications in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). We hypothesized that circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels are affected by nocturnal hypoxemia in patients with OSAS.


METHODS
We examined the serum VEGF levels in patients with OSAS and in control subjects. We also tested the effects of oxygen or air administration on the subjects' VEGF levels.


METHODS
Twenty-four OSAS patients (mean age 54.2 +/- 3.6 years) and 24 age-matched control subjects (53.2 +/- 3.6 years). Their serum samples were tested.


RESULTS
Serum VEGF levels at 8:00 AM were significantly higher in OSAS patients than in controls (p<0.01). VEGF levels decreased from 515 +/- 31 (pg/ml) to 178 +/- 16 (pg/m) (p<0.01) in OSAS patients whose nocturnal hypoxemia was found to be improved by administration of 2 l/min of oxygen during the night. However, the administration of compressed air affected neither the VEGF level nor nocturnal oxygen desaturation in OSAS patients.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that circulating VEGF levels are elevated in OSAS patients, primarily due to nocturnal hypoxemia.
Teramoto
Shinji
S
Department of Geriatric Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo.
Kume
Haruki
H
Yamamoto
Hiroshi
H
Ishii
Takeo
T
Miyashita
Akira
A
Matsuse
Takeshi
T
Akishita
Masahiro
M
Toba
Kenji
K
Ouchi
Yasuyoshi
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D010100:Oxygen