• Sleep · Oct 2015

    Clinical Trial

    Invariant Natural Killer T Cell Deficiency and Functional Impairment in Sleep Apnea: Links to Cancer Comorbidity.

    • Gadintshware Gaoatswe, Brian D Kent, Michelle A Corrigan, Geraldine Nolan, Andrew E Hogan, Walter T McNicholas, and Donal O'Shea.
    • Obesity Immunology Group, Education & Research Center, St Vincent's University Hospital, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
    • Sleep. 2015 Oct 1; 38 (10): 1629-34.

    Study ObjectivesEmerging evidence links obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with increased cancer incidence and mortality. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play an important role in cancer immunity. We hypothesized that patients with OSA have low number of circulating invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, which may also be functionally impaired. This study aims to evaluate the frequency of circulating iNKT cells in OSA.DesignWe evaluated the frequency of circulating iNKT cells by flow cytometry in 33 snorers being assessed for possible OSA. Using iNKT cell lines, we also evaluated the effect of exposure to hypoxia over 24 hours on apoptosis, cytotoxicity, and cytokine production.SettingTeaching hospital based sleep unit and research laboratory.PatientsThirty-three snorers were evaluated: 9 with no OSA (apnea-hypopnea frequency [AHI] < 5/h), 12 with mild-moderate OSA (AHI 5-30) and 12 with severe OSA (AHI > 30).Measurements And ResultsPatients with severe OSA had considerably fewer iNKT cells (0.18%) compared to patients with mild-moderate (0.24%) or no OSA (0.35%), P = 0.0026. The frequency of iNKT cells correlated negatively with apnea-hypopnea index (r = -0.58, P = 0.001), oxygen desaturation index (r = -0.58, P = 0.0003), and SpO2% < 90% (r = -0.5407, P = 0.005). The frequency of iNKT cells increased following 12 months of nCPAP therapy (P = 0.015). Hypoxia resulted in increased apoptosis (P = 0.016) and impaired cytotoxicity (P = 0.035).ConclusionPatients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have significantly reduced levels of circulating invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and hypoxia leads to impaired iNKT cell function. These observations may partly explain the increased cancer risk reported in patients with OSA.© 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

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