Relationship between cognitive dysfunction and urinary 8-OHdG levels in children with obstructive sleep apnea

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Sleep Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children can lead to neurocognitive deficits.
• Oxidative stress is implicated in OSA-related disorders.
• 8-hydroxy-2 -deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a key marker for oxidative DNA damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between urinary 8-OHdG levels and cognitive dysfunction in children with OSA.
• To determine if 8-OHdG can serve as a biomarker for cognitive impairment in pediatric OSA.

Main Methods:

• Study included 99 children with OSA and 35 controls.
• Participants underwent polysomnography (PSG), PedsQL questionnaire, and urine collection for 8-OHdG analysis.
• Urinary 8-OHdG levels were measured and correlated with clinical parameters and cognitive scores.

Main Results:

• Children with OSA exhibited significantly higher urinary 8-OHdG levels compared to non-OSA controls (p < 0.001).
• 8-OHdG levels correlated with OSA severity (e.g., apnea-hypopnea index, SaO2) and cognitive dysfunction scores.
• Logistic regression showed 8-OHdG was significantly associated with School Functioning scores (p = 0.004).

Conclusions:

• Urinary 8-OHdG is elevated in children with OSA.
• 8-OHdG levels correlate with OSA severity and cognitive deficits.
• Urinary 8-OHdG shows potential as a non-invasive biomarker for cognitive dysfunction in pediatric OSA.