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Circulating levels of ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A orexigenic neuropeptides in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

  • Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article
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Abstract

Purpose

The orexigenic peptides, ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A, have an important role in food intake and energy homeostasis and regulate the higher brain functions including the sleep–wake state. Although the interactions of these neuropeptides affect neuroendocrine systems resulting in obesity, a major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of serum ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A levels with OSAS.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, patients who underwent one-night polysomnography and conformed to the inclusion criteria were asked to participate. A blood sample was obtained from all participants on the morning of the sleep test to evaluate the serum levels of ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Demographic characteristics, polysomnography data, and serum levels of the participants were recorded and analyzed. Comparison between the OSAS groups was performed by independent sample t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal–Wallis test with post hoc K-W test using SPSS 20.0.

Results

Of 272 patients, those in the OSAS group (n=210) were older than patients in the non-OSAS group (n=62), p < 0.003, and had increased BMI, p < 0.006. Patients with, serum ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A levels were significantly elevated in patients with OSAS (635.9 pg/mL vs. 420.7 pg/mL, 91.0 pg/mL vs. 60.0 pg/mL, 600.3 pg/mL vs. 485.6 pg/mL, respectively) and found to be higher in patients with severe OSAS than mild and moderate cases (p < 0.01). In multinomial logistic regression to predict the OSAS severity, levels of serum ghrelin (OR = 1.016 [1.010–1.021]; p < 0.001), galanin (OR = 1.050 [1.020–1.081]; p < 0.001), and orexin-A (OR = 1.021 [1.012–1.030]; p < 0.001) were significantly associated only with a moderate level of OSAS.

Conclusion

The orexigenic neuropeptides were found to be an independent determinant of the presence of OSAS and correlate with the severity of OSAS. Increased levels of ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A were associated with the presence of moderate OSAS.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Dr. Adnan Karaibraihimoğlu (faculty member of the Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics) for contributing to the correction of the statistical analyses in our study.

Funding

This study was funded by Süleyman Demirel University Fund (Project No: 4422-YL2-15).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, 32260, Çünür, Isparta, Turkey

    Önder Öztürk

  2. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Art and Science, Suleyman Demirel University, 32260, Çünür, Isparta, Turkey

    Defne Cebeci, Uğur Şahin & Mustafa Calapoğlu

  3. Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, 32260, Çünür, Isparta, Turkey

    Eda Evgen Tülüceoğlu & Nilüfer Şahin Calapoğlu

  4. Clinic of Chest Diseases, Isparta City Hospital, 32200, Isparta, Turkey

    Taner Gonca

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  1. Önder Öztürk
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  2. Defne Cebeci
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  3. Uğur Şahin
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  4. Eda Evgen Tülüceoğlu
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Contributions

Önder Öztürk conceived and designed the study. Defne Cebeci, Eda Evgen Tülüceoğlu, and Taner Gonca participated in the acquisition of data. Önder Öztürk and Taner Gonca conducted the scoring of polysomnography. Uğur Şahin and Defne Cebeci analyzed the data. Önder Öztürk drafted the article. Nilüfer Şahin Calapoğlu and Mustafa Calapağlu revised the article critically for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the version to be submitted.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Önder Öztürk.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Medicine (meeting date, July 09, 2015; the number of decisions, 139). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflicting interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Öztürk, Ö., Cebeci, D., Şahin, U. et al. Circulating levels of ghrelin, galanin, and orexin-A orexigenic neuropeptides in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Sleep Breath 26, 1209–1218 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-021-02514-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-021-02514-w

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