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Sleep and Breathing
Published in: Sleep and Breathing 2/2016

01-05-2016 | Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article

Echocardiographic findings and plasma endothelin-1 levels in obese patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea

Authors: Pierluigi Carratù, Valentina Anna Ventura, Mauro Maniscalco, Silvano Dragonieri, Simona Berardi, Roberto Ria, Vitaliano Nicola Quaranta, Angelo Vacca, Fiorella Devito, Marco Matteo Ciccone, Barbara Anne Phillips, Onofrio Resta

Published in: Sleep and Breathing | Issue 2/2016

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Abstract

Objective

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are increasingly prevalent worldwide. Both promote endothelial dysfunction contributing to systemic and pulmonary hypertension over time. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays a pivotal role in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The aim of the present study was to assess the association between plasma ET-1 and echocardiographic findings in obese individuals with and without OSA, as well as in non-obese patients with OSA.

Methods

Ninety-seven subjects (56 males) were enrolled in the study. All subjects underwent the following tests: venous endothelin-1 levels, pulmonary function testing, and arterial blood gas analysis. All patients except controls underwent transthoracic echocardiography and portable testing for sleep-disordered breathing.

Results

Plasma ET-1 levels were significantly higher in obese patients, both with and without OSA (respectively, n = 30 (mean value, 268.06 ± 49.56 pg/ml) and n = 32 (mean value, 263.12 ± 65.26 pg/ml)), compared with non-obese patients with OSA or to healthy controls (respectively, n = 20 (mean value, 149.8 ± 23.09 pg/ml) and n = 15 (mean value, 152.3 ± 27.64 pg/ml); p < 0.0001). Pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs) in obese patients with OSA were significantly higher than in obese patients without OSA (p < 0.0001), while there was no statistical difference between PAPs of obese patients without OSA, compared with the group of non-obese OSA patients. Plasma ET-1 levels significantly correlated with systolic PAPs in obese patients both with and without OSA (respectively, n = 30, r = 0.385, p = 0.03567; n = 32, r = 0.3497, p = 0.0497).

Conclusions

Our study suggests that endothelin levels are more strongly associated with weight than the presence of sleep-disordered breathing, but pulmonary artery hypertension is associated with both weight and OSA.
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Metadata
Title
Echocardiographic findings and plasma endothelin-1 levels in obese patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea
Authors
Pierluigi Carratù
Valentina Anna Ventura
Mauro Maniscalco
Silvano Dragonieri
Simona Berardi
Roberto Ria
Vitaliano Nicola Quaranta
Angelo Vacca
Fiorella Devito
Marco Matteo Ciccone
Barbara Anne Phillips
Onofrio Resta
Publication date
01-05-2016
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Sleep and Breathing / Issue 2/2016
Print ISSN: 1520-9512
Electronic ISSN: 1522-1709
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-015-1260-5

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