Biomolecules (May 2023)

Serum Urotensin II Levels Are Elevated in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

  • Ante Mihovilovic,
  • Zoran Dogas,
  • Dinko Martinovic,
  • Daria Tokic,
  • Ema Puizina Mladinic,
  • Marko Kumric,
  • Natalija Ivkovic,
  • Marino Vilovic,
  • Josko Bozic

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13060914
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 6
p. 914

Abstract

Read online

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has become major public concern and is continuously investigated in new aspects of pathophysiology and management. Urotensin II (UII) is a powerful vasoconstrictor with a role in cardiovascular diseases. The main goal of this study was to evaluate serum UII levels in OSA patients and matched controls. A total of 89 OSA patients and 89 controls were consecutively enrolled. A medical history review and physical examination of the participants was conducted, with polysomnography performed in the investigated group. UII levels and other biochemical parameters were assessed according to the standard laboratory protocols. The median AHI in the OSA group was 39.0 (31.4–55.2) events/h, and they had higher levels of hsCRP when compared to control group (2.87 ± 0.71 vs. 1.52 ± 0.68 mg/L; p p p p p = 0.013), SBP (0.052 ± 0.008, p p = 0.001). As UII levels were associated with blood pressure and markers of inflammation and OSA severity, it might play an important role in the complex pathophysiology of OSA and its cardiometabolic complications.

Keywords