Correlation Between Peripheral Blood Inflammatory Markers and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity

Area of Science:

• Biomarkers
• Inflammation
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Peripheral blood inflammatory indices offer noninvasive assessment of systemic inflammation.
• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition characterized by repeated airway obstruction during sleep.
• Identifying reliable biomarkers for OSA severity is crucial for effective clinical risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between peripheral blood inflammatory markers and OSA severity.
• To identify predictive biomarkers for OSA classification.
• To explore the correlation between inflammatory markers and soft palate obstruction.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational study involving 266 adults with snoring.
• Calculation of inflammatory indices including pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), SIRI, SIL, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio.
• Assessment of OSA severity using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and soft palate obstruction via Müller maneuver.

Main Results:

• PIV and SIRI were significantly elevated in severe OSA cases (P=.001 and P=.012, respectively).
• PIV was independently associated with AHI severity (OR=1.010, 95% CI [1.003, 1.017]).
• PIV and SIRI positively correlated with AHI (r=.236 and r=.218, both P<.001). MLR, PIV, and SIRI levels increased with greater soft palate collapse.

Conclusions:

• Pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) serves as an independent and accessible biomarker for assessing OSA severity.
• Composite inflammatory indices like PIV and SIRI may offer a more comprehensive reflection of systemic inflammation compared to single markers.
• These findings support the utility of composite inflammatory indices in OSA phenotyping and prognosis, potentially complementing clinical assessments.