Efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure on TNF-α in obstructive sleep apnea patients: A meta-analysis.

Abstract

BackgroundTumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is an important mediator of the immune response. At present, the improvement of TNF-α after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is still controversial.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of the present evidence based on a meta-analysis to elucidate the effects of TNF-α on OSAHS after CPAP treatment.ResultsTo measure TNF-α, ten studies used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and one used radioimmunoassay. The forest plot outcome indicated that CPAP therapy would lower the TNF-α levels in OSAHS patients, with a weighted mean difference (WMD) of 1.08 (95% CI: 0.62-1.55; P ConclusionOur meta-analysis recommends that CPAP therapy will decrease the TNF-α level in OSAHS patients, but more related research should be conducted.