INTERLEUKIN-6, INTERLEUKIN-10 AND TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-α PLASMA LEVELS IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi KBB Anabilim Dalı, KBB, Ankara, Turkey The aim of this prospective clinical trial is to investigate plasma IL-6, IL-10, TNF α levels in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS).TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 were measured in plasma of patients with OSAS. OSAS group with Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) ≥5, 42 patients and control group with AHI<5, 40 patients.
Plasma levels of IL-6 were statistically significantly higher in OSAS patients, and increased significantly as severity of OSAS increased. Mean IL-10 plasma levels of OSAS patients was statistically significantly lower than that of control group and decreased significantly as severity of OSAS increased. Mean plasma TNF-α level did neither differ significantly between OSAS and control groups, nor did it change significantly as severity of OSAS increased. Linear regression revealed plasma TNF-α level as the only significant independent factor influencing plasma IL-6 level. IL-6 increased as TNF-α increased. According to linear regression, no factor influenced plasma IL-10 level independently. Age was the only significant independent factor determining TNF-α. TNF-α increased with increasing age.
Increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-6, and decrease in anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, in OSAS patients may have important health consequences. Therefore, we suggest that these two cytokines be measured in patients with OSAS, especially in males, before planning treatment, because they give information about systemic damage imposed by OSAS.
Keywords : Interleukins; interleukin-10; interleukin-6; sleep apnea, obstructive; cytokines; tumor necrosis factor-alpha