Serum Growth Factors in Sleep Disordered Breathing
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Serum Growth Factors in Sleep Disordered Breathing
IRAS ID
166912
Contact name
Chris Carlin
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 8 days
Research summary
Sleep breathing disorders are common and recognised as major health priorities. 6-8% of the UK population have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) which in 85% of cases is undiagnosed and is associated with important health consequences. 10-20% of medically unwell adults with BMI >35 have obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHV) which has severe adverse effects on health: 1/3 of patients with this present critically ill, requiring prolonged inpatient management. Treatment of sleep disordered breathing with mask and machine breathing support can be very effective, but currently requires opportunistic recognition of these diagnoses and laborious trials of treatment. We require improved insights into the disease mechanisms, and biomarkers to help diagnose and manage them: the overall aim of our research programme is improved recognition and stratified assessment and treatment of OSA and OHV.
OSA causes frequent drops in blood oxygen levels (intermittent hypoxia). OHV causes sustained drop in blood oxygen and sustained rise in carbon dioxide levels (sustained hypoxia and hypercarbia). Pulmonary artery fibroblasts (PAFs) are cells which in other diseases are responsible for the body’s unfavourable responses to low oxygen states. PAFs may have an important role in OSA and OHV - this is unexplored - and they are an established cell model for studying hypoxic disorders. We have begun a feasibility programme of cellular research into OSA and OHV, studying PAF s responses to intermittent hypoxia and sustained hypoxia/hypercarbia.
In this pilot translational study, we will take serum samples from control patients and patients with severe OSA and OHV before and after treatment, and determine the differential effects of this serum on PAF proliferation. If these results are positive we would proceed to explore the mechanisms responsible for variations in proliferation by measuring growth factors (cytokine profile and then targeted assay) and cellular signalling pathways in PAFs, using the residual patient serum available.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0475
Date of REC Opinion
13 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion