PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - R.J. Kimoff
AU  - Q. Hamid
AU  - M. Divangahi
AU  - S. Hussain
AU  - W. Bao
AU  - N. Naor
AU  - R.J. Payne
AU  - A. Ariyarajah
AU  - K. Mulrain
AU  - B.J. Petrof
TI  - Increased upper airway cytokines and oxidative stress in severe obstructive sleep apnoea
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00048610
DP  - 2010 Jan 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - erj00486-2010
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2010/09/16/09031936.00048610.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2010/09/16/09031936.00048610.full
AB  - Inflammation may contribute to upper airway pathophysiology in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Our objective was to compare upper airway pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, oxidative stress and connective tissue deposition in severe (n=25) versus mild (n=17) OSA patients.Upper airway surgical specimens were separated by predominance of either mucosal or muscle tissue. Expression levels for Interleukin-1α, Interleukin-6, Interferon-γ, RANTES, Transforming Growth Factor-β, and L-Selectin were measured by Ribonuclease Protection Assay. Oxidative stress was assessed via protein carbonyl group detection by immunoblotting. Histochemistry was employed for immunolocalization of selected cytokines, and connective tissue morphometry.In the severe OSA group, expression of Interleukin-1α, Interleukin-6 and Transforming Growth Factor-β was significantly higher in mucosa-predominant tissues, whereas in muscle-predominant specimens, RANTES expression was greater in severe OSA. Increased protein carbonylation was observed in severe OSA within both mucosal and muscle compartments. Immunohistochemistry localized Transforming Growth Factor-β to submucosal and perimuscular inflammatory cells, while Interleukin-6 was primarily localized to myocytes. Consistent with the pro-fibrotic cytokine profile observed in mucosa-predominant tissue, morphometric analysis revealed greater submucosal and perimuscular connective tissue in severe OSA subjects.There is increased pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokine expression, oxidative stress, and connective tissue deposition in upper airway tissues from severe versus mild OSA patients.