Clock gene expression is altered in veterans with sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Circadian Biology
• Sleep Medicine
• Genetics

Background:

• Clock gene dysregulation is implicated in sleep disorders and cardio-metabolic issues.
• The relationship between sleep apnea (SA) and core clock gene expression remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between sleep apnea (SA) and nocturnal hypoxemia (NH) with the expression of core clock genes.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 49 veterans undergoing polysomnography.
• Quantitative real-time PCR used to measure clock gene expression in whole blood.
• SA defined by apnea-hypopnea index ≥15 events/h; NH defined as ≥10% of total sleep time with oxygen saturation <90%.

Main Results:

• Reduced Per3 expression observed in participants with SA compared to those without (35% decrease, P=0.027).
• Participants with NH showed reduced expression of NPAS2 (50.4%, P=0.027), Per1 (28.7%, P=0.014), and Rev-Erb-α (31%, P=0.040) compared to those without NH.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest a potential interrelationship between SA, NH, and clock gene expression.
• Further research into 24-hour clock gene expression in SA is warranted to understand its role in cardio-metabolic outcomes.