Elevated serum calprotectin as an inflammatory marker in obstructive sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Inflammation Markers

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with systemic inflammation.
• Biomarkers reflecting inflammatory processes in OSA require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate serum calprotectin (SCal) levels and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients diagnosed with OSA.
• To determine the association between these markers and OSA severity.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 67 OSA patients and 46 healthy controls was analyzed.
• OSA patients were stratified into mild, moderate, and severe subgroups.
• SCal levels and NLR were compared across groups.

Main Results:

• Both SCal and NLR were significantly higher in OSA patients compared to controls (p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively).
• SCal levels demonstrated a significant increase with escalating OSA severity (p=0.004 for severe vs. moderate/mild).

Conclusions:

• Serum calprotectin levels are elevated in OSA patients and correlate with disease severity.
• SCal may serve as a valuable biomarker for assessing OSA severity, potentially more so than NLR.