Association between the circulating superoxide dismutase and obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Pulmonology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Superoxide dismutase (SOD) plays a crucial role in cellular defense against oxidative stress.
• Previous studies suggest a link between SOD levels and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but findings are inconsistent.
• The impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on SOD levels in OSA patients remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the relationship between circulating superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• To investigate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on SOD levels in OSA patients.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was conducted using studies from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus.
• Data from 14 studies involving 1240 OSA patients and 457 controls were analyzed.
• Standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used to measure overall effects, with random-effects or fixed-effects models applied based on heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• Circulating SOD levels were significantly lower in patients with OSA compared to controls (SMD = -1.645, 95% CI = -2.279 to -1.011, P < 0.001).
• No significant difference in circulating SOD levels was observed after short-term CPAP treatment (SMD = -0.028, 95% CI = -0.218 to 0.162, P = 0.772).

Conclusions:

• Patients with OSA exhibit reduced SOD levels, potentially correlating with disease severity and indicating systemic oxidative stress.
• Circulating SOD may serve as a biomarker for oxidative stress in OSA.
• Short-term CPAP treatment (4-12 weeks) does not appear to affect circulating SOD levels.