Background: There are contradictory reports on the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the immune system. Therefore, we studied the association of OSA with changes in cytokine and chemokine levels as well as the proliferative pattern of CD4 T lymphocytes.
Methods: We investigated the association of OSA with potential alterations in 14 Th1/Th2 and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines as well as CD4 T cells.
Results: Our results demonstrate for the first time that the increase in CD4 T cell frequency in OSA is associated with an increased expression of the nuclear protein Ki67 (p<0.05), and is correlated with the levels of IL-1β (p<0.05). The levels of IL-1β as well as IL-6 are increased (p<0.05), while the levels of IFN-γ and the ratio IFN-γ/IL-4 in the blood are decreased (p<0.05) in OSA.
Conclusion: OSA is associated with inflammatory and pro-Th2 immune responses. The inflammatory profile represented by IL-1β correlated with an increased proliferative potential of CD4 T cells.