Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Considering that oxidative stress is involved in endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis development, our aim was to examine lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, two parameters of oxidative status, in a group of subjects with OSAS.
Patients and methods: We consecutively enrolled 48 patients (36 men and 12 women; mean age 49.7±14.6 yrs) with OSAS, subsequently subdivided according to the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) value in two subgroups: Low (L= 21 subjects with AHI<30) and High (H= 27 subjects with AHI>30). We examined lipid peroxidation, expressed as TBARS, and protein oxidation, measured as carbonyl groups in plasma samples from fasting venous blood.
Results: We observed that TBARS and carbonyl groups were significantly higher in subjects with AHI > 30 in comparison with the L subgroup and the whole group of OSAS subjects. In addition, we found that these parameters were positively correlated with neck and waist circumference, with the AHI value and with the oxygen desaturation index, and negatively correlated with the mean oxygen saturation.
Conclusions: Lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in OSAS patients are significantly correlated with the severity of the disease.