title: Systemic inflammation in non-obese children with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with increased systemic inflammatory responses that may contribute to an increased risk for end-organ morbidity. The changes in levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 , and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, both of which play a major role in atherogenesis, a major consequence of OSA, have not specifically been assessed in pediatric patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive non-obese children (aged 4-9years) who were polysomnographically diagnosed with OSA, and age-, gender-, ethnicity-, and BMI-matched control children underwent a blood draw the next morning after a sleep study and plasma samples were assayed for interleukins 6 (IL-6) and 10 (IL-10). These tests were repeated 4-6months after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) in children with OSA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IL-6 levels were higher and IL-10 plasma levels were lower in children with OSA and returned to control levels after T&A.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Systemic inflammation is a constitutive component and consequence of OSA in many children, even in the absence of obesity, and is reversible upon treatment in most patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine and Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, 570 South Preston Street, Suite 204, Louisville, KY 40202, USA. david.gozal@louisville.edu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gozal
authors.forename: Laura D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Serpero
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sans Capdevila
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kheirandish-Gozal
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D014068:Tonsillectomy