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Immune status of children with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome
1Zihe Zhang, Department of Otolaryngology, Qilu Children's Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan 250022, Shandong Province, China.
Insights
Children with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) exhibit poor immune function, characterized by elevated CD8+ T cells and reduced CD4+/CD8+ ratios. This suggests underlying oxidative stress and inflammation in pediatric OSAHS.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatric Sleep Medicine
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a prevalent condition in children.
- The impact of OSAHS on pediatric immune status remains incompletely understood.
- Evaluating immune markers can provide insights into the systemic effects of OSAHS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the immune status of children diagnosed with OSAHS.
- To compare T cell subsets, cytokine levels, and immunoglobulin/complement levels between children with and without OSAHS.
Main Methods:
- Fifty children with OSAHS were compared to 52 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.
- Peripheral venous blood was analyzed for T cell subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) using flow cytometry.
- Serum levels of cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM), and complement components (C3, C4) were measured.
Main Results:
- Children with OSAHS showed a significantly higher percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes and a lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio compared to controls.
- Elevated serum levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ were observed in the OSAHS group.
- The OSAHS group exhibited significantly higher serum IgA and C3 levels.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric OSAHS is associated with impaired immune function, indicated by altered T cell subsets.
- Increased levels of specific cytokines suggest the presence of oxidative stress and systemic inflammation in children with OSAHS.
- Humoral immune markers like IgA and C3 may be affected by OSAHS, warranting further investigation.
Objective:
We aimed to evaluate the immune status of children with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
Methods:
Fifty children with OSAHS having the symptoms of "snoring, mouth breathing and suffocating during sleep", who were admitted in our hospital from May 2014 to May 2016, were randomly selected. Another 52 healthy, age- and gender-matched children were enrolled as control subjects after taking informed consent. After admission, the peripheral venous blood was collected. T cell subsets and cytokines were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immunoglobulin and complement levels were detected by immunoassay analyzer.
Results:
The percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes in children with OSAHS was (26.47 ± 1.52)% which was significantly higher than that of control group ((21.94 ± 1.92)%) (P<0.05). OSAHS group had a significantly lower CD4+/CD8+ ratio (1.24 ± 0.12) than that of control group (1.45 ± 0.11) (P<0.05). The two groups had similar percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes (P>0.05). OSAHS group had significantly higher serum levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ than those of control group (P<0.05), but their IL-2 and TNF-α levels were similar (P>0.05). The serum IgA and C3 levels of OSAHS group significantly exceeded those of control group (P<0.05), but their IgG, IgM and C4 levels were similar (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
Children with OSAHS had increased percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes and decreased CD4+/CD8+ ratio, suggesting this group had poor immune function. Increase in humoral immune-related indices IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ indicated the occurrence of oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory status.