Serum amyloid-beta levels are increased in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
A critical link between amyloid-beta (Aβ) and hypoxia has been demonstrated in in vitro and animal studies but has not yet been proven in humans. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder that is characterized by nocturnal intermittent hypoxaemia. This study sought to examine the association between the chronic intermittent hypoxia and Aβ in OSAS patients. Forty-five cognitively normal OSAS patients and forty-nine age- and gender-matched subjects diagnosed with simple snoring and not OSAS were included in the present study. Serum Aβ40, Aβ42, total tau and phosphorylated tau 181 (P-tau 181) levels were measured using ELISA kits. All subjects were evaluated with nighttime polysomnography and cognitive tests. Compared with the controls, the OSAS patients exhibited significantly higher serum Aβ40, Aβ42 and total Aβ levels, and each of these levels was positively correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index, the oxygen desaturation index, and the mean and lowest oxyhaemoglobin saturations in the OSAS patients. Moreover, the OSAS patients exhibited strikingly higher serum P-tau 181 levels, and these levels were positively correlated with serum Aβ levels. This study suggests that there is an association between chronic intermittent hypoxia and increased Aβ levels, implying that hypoxia may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Xian-Le
XL
Bu
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Yu-Hui
YH
Liu
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Qing-Hua
QH
Wang
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Shu-Sheng
SS
Jiao
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Fan
F
Zeng
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Xiu-Qing
XQ
Yao
Department of Sleep center, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Dong
D
Gao
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Ji-Chuan
JC
Chen
Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
Yan-Jiang
YJ
Wang
D000328:Adult; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000097:blood
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D016875:tau Proteins