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DUSP21 expression is associated with obstructive sleep apnea in pediatric patients with obesity

Fabio Affaticati1, Eline Vermeiren2, Pieter Meysman1

  • 1Antwerp Unit for Data Analysis and Computation in Immunology and Sequencing (AUDACIS), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; ADReM Data Lab, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.

Sleep Medicine
|September 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Children with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have unique gene expression patterns. The gene DUSP21 shows significant changes, suggesting its role in OSA development in obese children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Obesity is a significant risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children.
  • Both obesity and OSA are linked to cardiovascular and metabolic issues through shared pathways.
  • Distinguishing individual contributions of obesity and OSA to comorbidities is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms of OSA in obese children.
  • To identify distinct gene expression profiles in children with obesity and OSA.

Main Methods:

  • Whole blood mRNA sequencing was performed on children with obesity.
  • Participants were aged 8-18 years and enrolled in a weight loss program.
  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was diagnosed using polysomnography (oAHI ≥2).

Main Results:

  • 10 out of 40 obese children were diagnosed with OSA.
  • Differential expression analysis revealed 11 differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
  • DUSP21 was significantly downregulated (Log2FoldChange = -7.88, p = 0.0002) in children with OSA.

Conclusions:

  • Obese children with OSA display distinct molecular signatures compared to those without OSA.
  • The gene DUSP21 may be a key player in the pathophysiology of OSA in this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
DUSP21ObesityObstructive sleep apneaPediatrics

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