S100B and NSE serum levels in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Braga, Carla W.; Martinez, Denis; Wofchuk, Susana; Portela, Luis V.; Souza, Diogo Onofre

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2005.12.012

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Volume 7, Issue 5 , Pages 431-435, August 2006

S100B and NSE serum levels in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Carla W. Braga
- Departamento de Bioquimica, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600 anexo, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Denis Martinez
- Cardiology Service, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, UFRGS, Brazil
Susana Wofchuk
- Departamento de Bioquimica, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600 anexo, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Luis V. Portela
- Departamento de Bioquimica, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600 anexo, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
Diogo Onofre Souza
- Departamento de Bioquimica, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2600 anexo, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 51 3316 5558; fax: +55 51 3316 5540.

Received 12 May 2005; received in revised form 29 November 2005; accepted 29 December 2005.

Abstract

Background and purpose

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a chronic disease ranging from innocuous to life-threatening and causes brain alterations manifested by neuropsychiatric symptoms. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and the astrocytic protein S100B are established sensitive peripheral biochemical markers of brain injury. In the present work we measured the serum levels of S100B and NSE in order to evaluate the deleterious effects of OSAS to the brain.

Patients and methods

We studied 29 male patients with OSAS and 17 male asymptomatic control subjects with an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) less than five events per hour. Patients and control subjects were evaluated by full-night polysomnography (PSG) and by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for the presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms. In the morning following the PSG, blood was collected and serum levels of S100B and NSE were measured using standard techniques.

Results

The AHI in the OSAS group was (mean±SD) 27±25 AH/h, ranging from 5 to 99 AH/h. S100B was higher in OSAS (0.15±0.09μg/l) than in the control group (0.08±0.06μg/l; P<0.01). Serum NSE was similar in both groups (17.5±12.2 vs. 15.8±6.8ng/ml).