Increased Plasma Levels of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Soluble CD40 Ligand in Patients with Sleep Apnea

Vol. 77, No. 1, 2009

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Basic Science Investigations

Increased Plasma Levels of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Soluble CD40 Ligand in Patients with Sleep Apnea
Antonia Barceló^a, Mónica de la Peña^b, Olga Ayllón^a, M. Victoria Vega-Agapito^e, Javier Piérola^c, Gerardo Pérez^a, Constancio González^e, Alberto Alonso^b, Alvar G.N. Agustí^{b, d}

^aServei de Anàlisis Clíniques,
^bServei de Pneumologia y
^cUnitat de Investigació, Hospital Universitari Son Dureta y
^dFundació Caubet-Cimera, Palma de Mallorca,
^eUniversidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, y Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias), Madrid, España

Address of Corresponding Author

Respiration 2009;77:85-90 (DOI: 10.1159/000165630)

Key Words

Sleep apnea
Biomarkers
Endothelial dysfunction
Atherosclerosis
Obesity

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are a leading cause of mortality and they are frequent in patients with the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Objectives: In this study we investigated if OSAS influences CV function independently of other CV risk factors frequently present in these patients (e.g. obesity, high blood pressure). Methods: We compared plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), and atherosclerosis progression (soluble fraction of the CD40 ligand, sCD40L) in OSAS patients with (n = 23) and without (n = 18) concurrent CV risk factors, as well as in healthy subjects (n = 23). Results: Plasma ADMA (p < 0.01) and sCD40L (p < 0.05) were abnormally increased in patients with OSAS versus healthy controls, but they were not influenced by the presence or absence of CV risk factors in OSAS. ET-1 levels were not different between the three groups of subjects studied. Conclusions: OSAS is associated with endothelial injury and atherosclerosis progression independently of other CV risk factors.

Author Contacts

Dr. A. Barceló
Servei de Anàlisis Cliniques
Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, C/ Andrea Doria 55
ES-07014 Palma de Mallorca (Spain)
Tel. +34 971 175 490, Fax +34 971 175 490, E-Mail abarcelo@hsd.es

Article Information

Received: May 26, 2008
Accepted after revision: July 25, 2008
Published online: October 22, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 43

Medline Abstract (ID 18946203)

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