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Plasma C-reactive protein levels among children with sleep-disordered breathing

Riva Tauman1, Anna Ivanenko, Louise M O'Brien

  • 1Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, Division of Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA.

Pediatrics
|June 3, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) show elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a marker of inflammation. These elevated CRP levels correlate with SDB severity and are linked to daytime sleepiness and learning problems in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Health

Background:

  • C-reactive protein (CRP) is a key serum marker for inflammation.
  • Elevated CRP levels are observed in adult patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
  • The study investigates if children with SDB also exhibit elevated CRP levels.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if children with SDB have higher plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared to controls.
  • To explore the correlation between CRP levels and SDB severity indicators in children.
  • To assess the association between elevated CRP levels and neurobehavioral symptoms in children with SDB.

Main Methods:

  • Eighty-one children underwent polysomnography to diagnose SDB.
  • Plasma samples were collected to measure C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipid profiles.
  • Statistical analysis, including logarithmic transformation, was used to compare CRP levels between groups and assess correlations.

Main Results:

  • Children with SDB (apnea/hypopnea index [AHI] ≥5) had significantly higher log plasma CRP levels than mild SDB and control groups.
  • Log CRP levels positively correlated with AHI and arousal index, and inversely with lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation.
  • Elevated log CRP levels were associated with excessive daytime sleepiness and learning problems in 94% of affected children.

Conclusions:

  • Plasma CRP levels are elevated in some children with SDB, correlating with SDB severity.
  • Inflammatory responses, indicated by CRP, may be triggered by intermittent hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation in SDB.
  • These inflammatory changes in children with SDB may contribute to cardiovascular, cognitive, and behavioral morbidities.
Abstract

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