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Cardiovascular disease in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: the role of intermittent hypoxia and inflammation

¹ Respiratory Sleep Disorders Unit, St Vincent's University Hospital, and ² UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

CORRESPONDENCE: W. T. McNicholas, Respiratory Sleep Disorders Unit, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland. Fax: 353 12697949. E-mail: walter.mcnicholas{at}ucd.ie

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease, inflammation, hypoxia, nuclear factor-B, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, review

Received: July 21, 2008
Accepted December 7, 2008

There is increasing evidence that intermittent hypoxia plays a role in the development of cardiovascular risk in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) through the activation of inflammatory pathways. The development of translational models of intermittent hypoxia has allowed investigation of its role in the activation of inflammatory mechanisms and promotion of cardiovascular disease in OSAS. There are noticeable differences in the response to intermittent hypoxia between body tissues but the hypoxia-sensitive transcription factors hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and nuclear factor-B appear to play a key role in mediating the inflammatory and cardiovascular consequences of OSAS. Expanding our understanding of these pathways, the cross-talk between them and the activation of inflammatory mechanisms by intermittent hypoxia in OSAS will provide new avenues of therapeutic opportunity for the disease.

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