A Pilot Study of Biomarkers in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common and is a risk factor for postoperative complications, including respiratory and cardiac events and delirium. Despite this risk, however, there are currently no accepted biomarkers that can predict poor outcomes, making it unclear to see which patients will have complications after surgery, and who might need prolonged monitoring or an extended hospital stay. An improved understanding of the pathophysiology of OSA is required to identify potential biomarkers for outcomes after surgery, as well as to develop new treatments. The aim of this pilot study is to identify serum and cerebrospinal (CSF) biomarkers associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The presence of cytokines and neurotrophins will be determined and quantified in both patients with OSA and in controls. The CSF samples will additionally be analyzed by proteomic methods to identify potential biomarkers with significantly different levels present in patients with and without OSA. The working hypothesis is that OSA patients who are non-CPAP-compliant will have higher levels of circulating cytokines and lower levels of circulating neurotrophins in serum and CSF, compared to patients who are CPAP-compliant and/or controls.