[Pathologic changes of palatopharyngeal muscle in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To study the pathologic changes of the palatopharyngeal muscles in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), the role of the above muscles in OSAHS pathogenesis was discussed.


METHODS
Thirty OSAHS patients receiving uvulopalatopharyngoplasty selected, and ten normal subjects without snoring as the control group. The successive longitudinal sections of palatopharyngeal muscle were stained for observing Troponin-I's content. All specimens were examined with transmission electronmicroscopy (TEM) and light microscopy.


RESULTS
Twenty nine of 30 specimens obtained from OSAHS patients evaluated with TEM showed pathologic changes of different degrees. While 2 among 10 specimens in control group showed mild myofibril edema or hypertrophy, no pathologic changes shown in other specimens. Immunohistochemistrial results of all specimens sections stained for observing Troponin-I antibody have shown that negative grey degree value is 146.30 +/- 10.72 in study group and 107.50 +/- 4.81 in control group respectively. There is significant difference between these two groups (P < 0.05). The negative grey degree value of study groupl and study group2 are 143.12 and 148.80 respectively , no statistical difference (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Palatopharyngeal myelofibrosis may affect pharyngeal dilator muscles function, this could be one mechanism of upper airway collapsibility.
Li
Yu-xiao
YX
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650031, China.
He
Xiao-guang
XG
Song
Jin-ling
JL
Wang
Fang
F
Wen
Wei-ping
WP
Li
Tian-ying
TY
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019210:Troponin I / Q000378:metabolism
D019210:Troponin I