Oxidative Stress Markers and Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Oxidative stress underlies both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to assess the markers of oxidative stress in plasma at different stages of OSA in non-smoking obese Caucasian males aged 41-60, with normal oral glucose tolerance test. All patients were subjected to clinical and polysomnographic examinations. The stage of OSA severity was set according to the following criteria of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): AHI < 5/h - no disease (OSA-0; n = 26), AHI 5-15/h - mild disease (OSA-1; n = 26), AHI 16-30/h - moderate disease (OSA-2: n = 27), and AHI > 30/h obstructive episodes per hour - severe disease (OSA-3; n = 27). Plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) and thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS), reflecting the level of lipid peroxides, were determined spectrophotometrically. We found that TAS decreased and TBARS increased significantly from OSA-0 to OSA-3. We conclude that the oxidative stress markers are conducive to setting the severity of OSA in normoglycemic patients.