Endothelial glycocalyx perturbation in obstructive sleep apnea is associated with repetitive hypoxemia and immunothrombotic endothelial dysfunction - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #Obstructive sleep apnea
- #Immunothrombosis
- #Endothelial glycocalyx
- Plasma levels of hyaluronan (HA) and heparan sulfate (HS) are elevated in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and correlate with disease severity and hypoxic burden.
- Intermittent hypoxia (IH) in experimental models damages the endothelial glycocalyx, increasing oxidative stress and promoting a prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory endothelial state.
- Proteomic analysis links severe OSA and high HA/HS levels to pathways involving inflammation, coagulation, and oxidative stress.
- Antioxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine partially restores glycocalyx components and reduces oxidative stress in endothelial cells exposed to IH.
- The study suggests HA and HS as potential biomarkers for endothelial glycocalyx damage in OSA, but findings are limited to a male cohort and require validation in broader populations.