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Molecular signalling involved in upper airway remodelling is enhanced in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2022

C-C Lin Open the ORCID record for C-C Lin [Opens in a new window] ,
Y-P Wang ,
C-H Chiu ,
Y-K Sun ,
M-W Lin  and
I-S Tzeng
C-C Lin*
Affiliation:
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Y-P Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
C-H Chiu
Affiliation:
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Y-K Sun
Affiliation:
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
M-W Lin
Affiliation:
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
I-S Tzeng
Affiliation:
Department of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan
*
Author for correspondence: Dr C-C Lin, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 289, Jianguo Rd, Xindian District, New Taipei City 23142, Taiwan E-mail: cclinpro@yahoo.com Fax: +88 62 6628 9009
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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to elucidate whether molecular signalling involved in upper airway remodelling is enhanced in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Method

Twenty patients with mild obstructive sleep apnoea (control group) and 40 patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (obstructive sleep apnoea group) who desired uvulopalatopharyngoplasty were recruited for the study. After uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, surgical specimens of the uvula were subjected to haematoxylin and eosin, Masson's trichrome and immunohistochemical staining. Western blot and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the protein and messenger RNA expressions.

Results

The obstructive sleep apnoea group showed more severe inflammation, increased collagen deposition and higher immunohistochemical staining intensity for TGF-ß and MMP-9 as well as higher protein and messenger RNA expression of MMP-9, VEGF, TGF-ß, p38 MAPK, SMAD 2/3, AKT and JNK in the uvula than control group.

Conclusion

Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea demonstrated more severe inflammation, increased airway remodelling, and increased protein and messenger RNA expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic cytokines in the uvula than control participants.

Keywords

Sleep Apnea, ObstructiveUvulaAirway RemodelingCytokinesInflammation

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 11 , November 2022 , pp. 1096 - 1104
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

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Footnotes

Dr C-C Lin takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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