Abstract:
Repetitive hypoxaemia and reoxygenation may trigger oxidative stress mechanisms in patients with OSAS. Oxidative stress alters the activities of enzymes involved in the production of arginine metabolites (ADMA, SDMA, L-NMMA) and leads to changes in their amounts. In previous studies, intermittent hypoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation events have been observed to increase NO synthesis in OSAS patients. We examined how the balance between nitric oxide and methylated arginine metabolites changes in newly diagnosed OSAS patients. At the end of our study, we aimed to examine the effect of increased metabolites on the prediction of complications that may develop in the future due to OSAS. Voluntary patients over the age of 18 years who were diagnosed with OSAS were included in the study. Patients with central apnoea, laboratory abnormalities and additional comorbidities were excluded. The study included 121 patients, including 31 healthy, 30 mild, 30 moderate and 31 severe osas. As a result of our study, we found that arginine metabolites (ADMA and L-NMMA) levels were lower in patients with OSAS compared to the healthy group. SDMA values of healthy controls and OSAS patient groups were similar. The patients included in the study were newly diagnosed patients with no complications. Therefore, we did not observe an increase in arginine metabolites (ADMA, L-NMMA) due to the fact that the l-arginine pathway was registered to nitric oxide synthesis for compensation and therefore the methylated arginine pathway was not yet activated.
Author(s): Emrah BOLCA, Dilek Ergün, Recai Ergün, Fikret Kanat, Ali Ünlü, Duygu Eryavuz Onmaz, Muslu Kazım Körez