MiRNA expression affects survival in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and metastatic colorectal cancer.

Introduction: The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cancer has been recognized for some time now. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which sleep apnea promotes tumorigenesis and the impact of OSA on survival after cancer diagnosis. In the last few years, research has focused on the exploration of different biomarkers to understand the mechanisms underlying this relationship and miRNAs, non-coding single strands of about 22 nucleotides that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression, have emerged as possible actors of this process.The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of OSA on survival of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients based on the expression of specific miRNAs. Methods: The expression of 6 miRNAs, respectively miR-21, miR-23b, miR-26a, miR-27b, miR-145 and miR-210, was analyzed by qRT-PCR in patients' sera. Response to first-line therapy, Kaplan-Meier curves of overall and progression-free survival were used to evaluate survival in mCRC patients with and without OSA stratified for the expression of miRNAs. Results: The expression of miR-21, miR-23b, miR-26a and miR-210 was significantly upregulated in mCRCs with OSA compared to no OSA. In mCRC patients with OSA and increasing expression of miR-21, miR-23b, miR-26a and miR-210 risk of progression after first-line therapy was higher and both overall and progression-free survival were significantly worst. Conversely, as miR-27b and miR-145 expression increased, the life expectancy of patients diagnosed with OSA and mCRC improved markedly. Conclusions: This study highlights the relevance of specific miRNAs on OSA in mCRCs and their significance as non-invasive biomarkers in predicting the prognosis in patients with mCRC and OSA.

The Role of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Acute Bilateral Vocal Cord Paresis or Paralysis Post-Thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Acute post-thyroidectomy bilateral vocal cord paresis or paralysis (BVCP) is often managed with observation, botulinum toxin injection or tracheostomy. However, only a few cases discuss obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the context of BVCP with limited exploration of home sleep test (HST) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as post-operative assessment and management tools. This study suggests CPAP as a less invasive approach while awaiting vocal cord recovery. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 2 female patients who presented with dyspnea and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) symptoms post-thyroidectomy. Both patients underwent laryngoscopy and HSTs, followed by CPAP prescription. RESULTS: Case 1 (body mass index [BMI]: 32.6 kg/m2) and Case 2 (BMI: 20.1 kg/m2), aged 66 and 77 respectively, presented with post-surgery dyspnea and SDB symptoms. Laryngoscopy revealed left vocal cord paresis and right vocal cord paralysis in both cases. Although tracheostomy could provide definitive treatment, both cases were deferred for non-invasive options, which led to HST, confirming moderate OSA (PAT-derived apnea-hypopnea index (pAHI): 18/hour and 27.1/hour) leading to CPAP recommendation. In Case 2, 5 weeks of CPAP use resulted in dramatic improvements in her sleep quality, with continued benefits at 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: These cases underscore the value of considering sleep studies and CPAP as adjunctive tools in acute post-thyroidectomy BVCP management while awaiting vocal motion recovery. This report also further supports that BVCP sufficiently narrows the glottic airway, predisposing patients to OSA.

Phenotypes of Velopharyngeal Tube Law in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

OBJECTIVE: The biomechanics of upper airway collapse in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains poorly understood. The goal of this study is to compare the area-pressure relationship (tube law) of the velopharynx at peak inspiration and peak expiration. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Academic tertiary medical center. METHODS: The velopharyngeal tube law was quantified in a convenience sample of 20 OSA patients via step reductions in nasal mask pressure during drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). The velopharyngeal airspace cross-sectional area was estimated from endoscopy while luminal pressure was recorded with a catheter. The tube law was quantified for nasal mask pressures from 14 to 0 cmH2O at peak inspiration and at peak expiration in all patients. The tube law was also quantified during the breathing cycle at a constant nasal mask pressure of 4 cmH2O in 3 patients representing different phenotypes. RESULTS: Velopharyngeal compliance (the slope of the tube law) was not statistically different in the peak inspiration versus peak expiration tube laws. Three phenotypes were observed, namely inspiratory collapse (phenotype 1), expiratory collapse (phenotype 2 = palatal prolapse), and a mostly stable airway during inspiration and expiration that collapsed as CPAP was reduced (phenotype 3). CONCLUSION: Velopharyngeal compliance is not significantly different at peak inspiration and peak expiration, which suggests that muscle tone is low when luminal pressure is above the closing pressure. Additional studies are needed to investigate how different phenotypes of velopharyngeal collapse may affect therapeutic outcomes.

Effect of inflammatory cytokines and plasma metabolome on OSA: a bidirectional two- sample Mendelian randomization study and mediation analysis.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder. Inflammatory factors and plasma metabolites are important in assessing its progression. However, the causal relationship between them and OSA remains unclear, hampering early clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions. Methods: We conducted a large-scale study using data from the FinnGen database, with 43,901 cases and 366,484 controls for our discovery MR analysis. We employed 91 plasma proteins from 11 cohorts (totaling 14,824 participants of European descent) as instrumental variables (IVs). Additionally, we conducted a GWAS involving 13,818 cases and 463,035 controls to replicate the MR analysis. We primarily used the IVW method, supplemented by MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize MR findings, followed by tests for heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and sensitivity analysis (LOO). Reverse MR analysis was also performed to explore causal relationships. Results: The meta-analysis showed a correlation between elevated Eotaxin levels and an increased risk of OSA (OR=1.050, 95% CI: 1.008-1.096; p < 0.05). Furthermore, we found that the increased risk of OSA could be attributed to reduced levels of X-11849 and X-24978 (decreases of 7.1% and 8.4%, respectively). Sensitivity analysis results supported the reliability of these findings. Conclusions: In this study, we uncovered a novel biomarker and identified two previously unknown metabolites strongly linked to OSA. These findings underscore the potential significance of inflammatory factors and metabolites in the genetic underpinnings of OSA development and prognosis.

The long-term prognostic implications of free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine ratio in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and thyroid dysfunction frequently overlap clinically and are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine (FT3/FT4) ratio as a novel biomarker of cardiovascular disease prognosis, but the impact of the FT3/FT4 ratio on the prognosis of OSA in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains uncertain. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 2160 patients with ACS were recruited and underwent portable sleep monitoring at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from June 2015 to January 2020. OSA was diagnosed when apnea-hypopnea index of ≥15 events/h. Patients were further divided into tertiles according to FT3/FT4 ratio. All patients had scheduled follow-up visits at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after discharge, with subsequent outpatient visits or telephone follow-up visits every 6 months. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, ischemia-driven revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina or heart failure. Results: Among 1,547 euthyroid patients enrolled (mean age, 56.0 ± 10.5 years), 812 patients (52.5%) had OSA. The FT3/FT4 ratio between OSA and non-OSA patients was not significantly different. During 2.8 (1.4, 3.5) years follow up, the risk of MACCE increased with the decreasing FT3/FT4 tertiles in patients with OSA (tertile3 as reference, tertile2: hazard ratio (HR) 1.26, 95% CI: 0.85-1.86, P = 0.255; tertile1: 1.60, 95% CI 1.11-2.32; P = 0.013). After adjustment for confounders, the lowest FT3/FT4 tertile was still independently associated with an increased risk of MACCE (adjusted HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.11-2.50, P = 0.015). Conclusion: Lower FT3/FT4 ratio associated with poor prognosis in patients with ACS and OSA.

Anatomic-Based Technique for Sensing Lead Placement in Hypoglossal Stimulator Implantation.

Placement of the sensing lead can be challenging in obese and Down syndrome patients. This article presents an alteration in technique for its placement for these patient populations. Laryngoscope, 2024.

Deep learning approaches for assessing pediatric sleep apnea severity through SpO2 signals.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea (SAH) presents a significant health challenge, particularly in diagnostic contexts, where conventional Polysomnography (PSG) testing, although effective, can be distressing for children. Addressing this, our research proposes a less invasive method to assess pediatric SAH severity by analyzing blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signals. We adopted two advanced deep learning architectures, namely ResNet-based and attention-augmented hybrid CNN-BiGRU models, to process SpO2 signals in a one-dimensional (1D) format for Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) estimation in pediatric subjects. Employing the CHAT dataset, which includes 844 SpO2 signals, the data was partitioned into training (60%), testing (30%), and validation (10%) sets. A predefined validation subset was randomly selected to ensure the models' robustness via a threefold cross-validation approach. Comparative analysis revealed that while the ResNet model attained an average accuracy of 72.9% across four SAH severity categories with a kappa score of 0.57, the CNN-BiGRU-Attention model demonstrated superior performance, achieving an average accuracy of 75.95% and a kappa score of 0.63. This distinction underscores our method's efficacy in both estimating AHI and categorizing SAH severity levels with notable precision. Further, to evaluate diagnostic capabilities, the models were benchmarked against common AHI thresholds (1, 5, and 10 events/hour) in each test fold, affirming their effectiveness in identifying pediatric SAH. This study marks a significant advance in the field, offering a non-invasive, child-friendly alternative for pediatric SAH diagnosis. Although challenges persist in accurately estimating AHI, particularly in severe cases, our findings represent a critical stride towards improving diagnostic processes in pediatric SAH.

Correlates of sleep-disordered breathing and Cheyne-Stokes respiration in patients with atrial fibrillation who have undergone pulmonary vein isolation.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a common comorbidity in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for AF have a high prevalence of SDB. In previous studies, some patients with AF had Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR). The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of SDB and the correlates of SDB severity and CSR in AF patients who have undergone PVI. The study was conducted using a single-center observational design. All participants underwent a home sleep apnea test (ApneaLink Air, ResMed, Australia), which could determine the severity of SDB as assessed by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the percentage of CSR (%CSR) pattern. 139 AF patients who underwent PVI were included in the study. Overall, 38 (27.3%) patients had no SDB (AHI < 5), 53 (38.1%) had mild SDB (5 ≤ AHI < 15), 33 (23.7%) had moderate SDB (15 ≤ AHI < 30), and 15 (10.8%) had severe SDB (AHI ≥ 30). Correlates of the increased AHI included male sex (ß = 0.23, p = 0.004), age (ß = 0.19, p = 0.020), high body mass index (ß = 0.31, p < 0.001), and ß blockers usage (ß = 0.18, p = 0.024). Conversely, correlates with the %CSR rate included male sex (ß = 0.18, p = 0.020), age (ß = 0.19, p = 0.015), non-paroxysmal AF (ß = 0.22, p = 0.008), and high glycohemoglobin A1c (ß = 0.36, p < 0.001) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (ß = 0.24, p = 0.005) levels. SDB is prevalent in patients with AF who have undergone PVI; predisposing factors for SDB include male sex, older age, and obesity. CSR occurs in patients with AF who have undergone PVI; predisposing factors for CSR include male sex, older age, high left ventricular filling pressure, and abnormal blood glucose level.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of continuous positive airway pressure treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in Singapore from a health system perspective.

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in Singapore from a health system perspective. The analysis evaluated a 5-year care pathway using a Markov model, considering per-patient costs of treatment, health system cost savings of obstructive sleep apnea and attributed conditions, the effectiveness measured in disability-adjusted life years with a discount rate of 3% and a weighted 5-year continuous positive airway pressure adherence of 74.1% from Singapore studies. Per-patient costs of treatment were from a large public hospital in Singapore. Efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure treatment, health system costs and disability-adjusted life years were obtained from literature; costs are in US dollars. We conducted probabilistic sensitivity analysis, one-way sensitivity analysis and what-if analysis. Based on a willingness-to-pay threshold of US $50,000 per disability-adjusted life year in USA, continuous positive airway pressure therapy was highly cost-effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $13,822 per disability-adjusted life year averted. Compared with the annual total costs of $856 for patients with continuous positive airway pressure treatment diagnosed by an inpatient sleep study, the total costs for those diagnosed by a home sleep test were $625, resulting in a remarkable 27% reduction per patient per year. One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that costs of treatment, effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure treatment and adherence had a higher impact on the cost-effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure therapy. The what-if analysis suggested that for continuous positive airway pressure treatment to be cost-effective, adherence rate should be at least 16.1%. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in making informed decisions on funding diagnosis and continuous positive airway pressure therapy within Singapore's healthcare system.

Association of Snoring and Daytime Sleepiness With Subsequent Incident Hypertension: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: There is a strong association between obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension, but the effects of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms on the risk of incident hypertension are not well documented. The aim of this prospective study was to examine whether snoring and sleepiness are associated with incident hypertension. METHODS: Data from the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort were analyzed. Normotensive participants, aged 18 to 69 years, were included between 2012 and 2016 and screened for snoring, morning fatigue, and daytime sleepiness in 2017 using items of the Berlin Questionnaire. We used Cox models, adjusted for multiple potential confounders, including body mass index, baseline blood pressure, sleep duration, and depressive symptoms, to compute hazards ratios of incidentally treated hypertension. RESULTS: Among 34 727 subjects, the prevalence of self-reported habitual snoring, morning fatigue, and excessive daytime sleepiness (≥3× a week for each) was 23.6%, 16.6%, and 19.1%, respectively. During a median follow-up of 3.1 years (interquartile range, 3.0-3.5), the incidence of treated hypertension was 4.1%. The risk of de novo treated hypertension was higher in participants who reported habitual snoring (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.03-1.32]) and excessive daytime sleepiness (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.24-1.62]), and increased with the weekly frequency of symptoms, with a dose-dependent relationship (Ptrend≤0.02 for all symptoms). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness are associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension. Identification of snoring and daytime sleepiness may be a useful public health screening tool in primary care for hypertension prevention.

Validation of a Portable Respiratory Monitoring System for the Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Crossectional Study.

Introduction Portable respiratory monitoring (PM) has been used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the general population. However, its validation in patients with both OSA and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), remains unclear. Objective The aim of the study was to validate PM for the diagnosis of OSA in patients with COPD. Materials and Methods In this crossectional study, COPD patients were submitted simultaneously to polysomnography (PSG) and PM. Moreover, the risk for OSA was verified by the Berlin, NoSAS, and STOP-BANG questionnaires. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for PM were calculated for the cutoff points of the hypopnea apnea index (AHI) of 5, 15, and 30 events/hour, as well as for the questionnaires. The Bland-Altman test and correlation analyses between the AHI of the PSG and PM were performed. Results A total of 103 patients were evaluated (age 67.5 ± 9.9 years, 60% men). The STOP-BANG questionnaire had the highest sensitivity for OSA diagnosis, at 94.4% (72.7-99.9%). The sensitivity of PM decreased (87.0, 66.7, and 44.4%), and the specificity increased 40.0, 78.6, and 100.0%) as the AHI cutoff point increased from 5, 15, and 30. The Bland-Altman test indicated good limits of agreement (AHI = 5.5 ± 11.7 events/hour). Therefore, the AHI results of the PM showed a strong and positive correlation with those of the PSG (r = 0.70, p < 0.0001). Conclusion The PM test can be a useful tool for OSA diagnosis in patients with COPD.

Role of Nasal Surgery in Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review.

Objective To perform a systematic review to determine if isolated nasal surgery has any impact on subjective or objective parameters in adult obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Materials and Methods From December 2022 to March 2023, we conducted a search on the PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Two independent investigators performed a study selection according to the established criteria, as well as data collection, including the study design, the subjective and objective parameters addressed, the type of intervention, and the outcomes, considering the methodological quality and risk of bias. Results In total, 25 studies met the selection criteria, and they showed that there is a significant improvement in sleep quality, sleepiness, nasal resistance, and snoring after isolated nasal surgery. Still, there is no relevant modification of other polysomnographic parameters. It also reduces the required titration pressures of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and increases the duration of its use. Conclusion Isolated nasal surgery is not a primary treatment for OSA. Still, it improves the subjective parameters and can lead to CPAP therapy success by enhancing its effectiveness and long-term compliance.

Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Associated with Higher Covid-19 Severity?

Objective To investigate the associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. Methods Twelve individuals hospitalized in a Brazilian tertiary hospital diagnosed with COVID-19 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) underwent respiratory polygraphy. Results Polygraphic records identified seven participants without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (OSA-) and five with OSA (OSA + ). The OSA+ group presented worse peripheral oxygen saturation (77.6% ± 7.89%) than the OSA- group (84.4% ± 2.57%) ( p = 0.041). Additionally, the OSA+ group showed greater COVID-19 severity (100%) than the OSA- group (28.57%) ( p = 0.013) and required longer oxygen therapy ( p = 0.038), but without difference in the length of hospitalization. The OSA+ group also presented higher rates of platelets ( p = 0.008) and D-dimer (1,443 ± 897) than the OSA- group (648 ± 263 ng/mL) ( p = 0.019). Conclusion Obstructive sleep apnea in individuals hospitalized due to COVID-19 was associated with higher COVID-19 severity, worse peripheral oxygen saturation, longer oxygen therapy time, and higher platelet and D-dimer rates.

Crossectional Study on the Performance of Screening Questionnaires for Prediction of Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Women.

Introduction The clinical manifestations of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are different between genders. Though there are several screening questionnaires for OSA, their performance in females is not fully understood, as women have been historically underrepresented in research studies. Objective To assess the performance of screening questionnaires and their capacity to identify a moderate to severe apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in women. Materials and Methods The Epworth sleep scale (ESS), Berlin questionnaire, and STOP-BANG questionnaire (SBQ) were correlated with AHI. Also, the sensitivity (S), specificity (Sp), and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) curve were calculated for each questionnaire and combinations thereof. Multiple regression models were used to identify ≥15 ev/h AHI. Results Our study included 5,344 patients: 1978 women (37.1%) aged 55.06 ± 14 years with body mass index (BMI): 32.6 ± 8.30 kg/m 2 , ESS: 7.69 ± 5.2 points, and high-risk Berlin score: 87.25%. An AHI ≥15 ev/h was found in 30.4% of women. In terms of the capacity to identify an ≥15 ev/h AHI in women, the AUC-ROC of ESS >10 and high-risk Berlin was 0.53 and 0.58, respectively. Three components of SBQ in any combination showed: a S of 65.1% (95% CI: 61.2-68.9), a Sp: 61.5% (95% CI: 58.9-64.1), with the AUC-ROC: 0.67. Conclusions Questionnaires perform differently in women. Therefore, it is necessary to take a gender-specific approach. The SBQ showed a higher discriminative power and more specificity than the ESS and the Berlin questionnaire. The best performance was obtained with any combination of 3 SBQ components. Age, BMI, neck circumference, and hypertension were the strongest predictors.

[Significance of immunological markers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and comorbid pathology]. / Znachimost' immunologicheskikh markerov u patsientov s obstruktivnym apnoe sna i komorbidnoi patologiei.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the significance of immunological markers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and comorbid pathology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients were examined. Two groups of patients were distinguished: the main group with moderate and severe OSA and the control group without OSA. The subjects underwent anthropometry, polysomnography, assessment of cognitive and emotional disorders. Glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP), antibodies against NR1-NR2 subunits of NMDA receptors (AT to GRIN2A) and the acetylcholine receptor (AT to AChR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were studied by enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: In patients with OSA, indicators of markers: GFAP (p=0.017), BDNF (p=0.006), antibodies to AChR (p=0.002), as well as chronic cerebral ischemia (p=0.000), depression on the HADS (p=0.004) and the Beck scale (p=0.000), drowsiness on the Epworth scale (p=0.001), asthenia on the visual analogue scale (p=0.000) and the MFI 20 (p=0.013) were higher than in the control group. A relationship was established in the main group between the identified subjective disorders on the Mini-Mental State Examination scale (MMSE) and BDNF (r=0.302, p=0.014) and the average score on the MMSE and BDNF (r=-0.266, p=0.032). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the relationship of neurospecific proteins with cognitive impairment in patients with OSA. The neuromarker GFAP in patients with sleep apnea has shown itself to be a predictor of decreased neurogenesis, and BDNF as a representative marker of neuroplasticity. Large values of AT to AChR in patients with OSA may indicate possible neuromuscular transmission disorders. Along with drowsiness and asthenia, patients with OSA have changes in the emotional background, mainly due to depression. The severity of depression and the severity of asthenia increase with increasing severity of apnea and are probably associated with low levels of saturation, which in turn leads to dysregulation of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala.

The STOP-Bang questionnaire: A narrative review on its utilization in different populations and settings.

STUDY RATIONALE: Although the STOP-Bang questionnaire has been validated for its efficacy and diagnostic performance in various settings, there is no review that summarizes the pertinent evidence of the STOP-Bang questionnaire in the different populations. We aimed to review the evidence of the diagnostic performance of the STOP-Bang questionnaire, correlation between STOP-Bang scores and the probability of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and its clinical application in various populations. STUDY IMPACT: This review guides healthcare providers in the sleep medicine and perioperative medicine disciplines to be better informed when using the STOP-Bang questionnaire in the different populations. It provides a greater understanding for both patients and clinicians when making decisions regarding OSA screening for each population.

Abnormal circadian rhythms exacerbate dilated cardiomyopathy by reducing the ventricular mechanical strength.

AIMS: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has etiological and pathophysiological heterogeneity. Abnormal circadian rhythm (ACR) is related to the development of DCM in animal models, but exploration based on clinical samples is lacking. Sleep apnea (SA) is the most common disease related to ACR, and we chose SA as the study object to explore ACR-DCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: We included a derivation cohort (n =105) and a validation cohort (n = 65). DCM patients were divided into SA and without SA group. RT-qPCR was used to determine the change of rhythm gene expression pattern of heart samples from different timepoints. We used single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to explore the abnormal transcriptional patterns in the ACR group, and we verified the findings by pathological staining, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Rev-erbα/ß knockout (KO) mice analysis. DCM patients with SA showed decreased amplitude of rhythm gene expression. SA group showed more severe dilation of left heart chambers. From snRNA-seq, ACR-DCM lost the morning transcriptional patterns, detailly, actin cytoskeleton organization of cardiomyocytes (CMs) disrupted and hypertrophy aggravated, and the proportion of activated fibroblasts (Fibs) decreased with the reduction of fibrotic area ratio. The results of pathological staining, mechanical experiments, and transcriptional feature of Rev-erbα/ß KO mice supported the above findings. CONCLUSION: Compared with the non-SA group, left ventricular (LV) wall dilation was more severe and the structural strength was lower in DCM patients with SA, and phenotypic changes in CM and Fib were involved in this process. ACR-DCM was histopathologically characterized by a structurally weak ventricular wall.

Postoperative respiratory difficulties following primary cleft palate repair in infants with Robin sequence versus isolated cleft palate: A retrospective study.

The study aimed to: (1) compare the occurrence of postoperative respiratory difficulties (PRD) following primary cleft palate repair (CPR) in infants with an isolated cleft palate (iCP) and infants with Robin sequence (RS), and (2) describe the possible benefit of preoperative analysis with palatal plate in infants with RS. All consecutive infants with an iCP and infants with RS who underwent CPR between January 2009 and June 2022 in the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 127 infants were included of which 74 infants with an iCP and 53 infants with RS. The group of infants with RS consisted of 35 infants with non-isolated RS (niRS) and 18 infants with isolated RS (iRS). Significant more PRD were seen in infants with RS compared to infants with an iCP (14/53 versus 9/74; p = 0.04). Especially infants with niRS have a significant higher risk of developing PRD in comparison with infants with an iCP (OR = 4.16, 95% CI [1.17-15.99], p = 0.031). The preoperative palatal plate screening in infants with RS (n = 25) did not show abnormalities and had no effect on the perioperative policy. Within the limitations of this study it seems that infants with niRS are more prone to develop PRD following primary CPR when compared to infants with iRS or an iCP. No clear benefit was found in postponing surgery until 12 months or later in infants with RS to avoid PRD. The preoperative palatal plate screening did not demonstrate signs of UAO in infants with RS that developed PRD. These findings suggest that preoperative analysis with palatal plate has a low predictive value.

Two-stage screening for obstructive sleep apnea in the primary practice setting.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a two-stage screening model for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in primary care that combines the STOP-BANG questionnaire (SBQ) with an automated home sleep apnea test (HSAT). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2018 to August 2022 in four Slovenian primary care practices. It included 153 randomly selected patients aged 18 to 70 years who visited the practice for any reason. Participants completed the SBQ and underwent HSAT with type III polygraphy on the same night. The HSAT recordings were scored automatically and by an experienced, accredited somnologist. RESULTS: There was a strong correlation between manual and automated HSAT scorings for the detection of OSA (Pearson's r = 0.93). Cohen's kappa was 0.80 for OSA (respiratory event index (REI) ≥ 5) and 0.77 for OSA severity categorization. The two-stage model demonstrated sensitivity of 64%, a specificity of 97.4%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 96.0%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 73.8% and an accuracy of 81.1% for any OSA (REI ≥ 5). For moderate to severe OSA (REI ≥ 15), the model showed 72.7% sensitivity, 96.7% specificity, 85.7% PPV, 92.8% NPV and 91.5% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: The two-stage model for OSA screening combining the SBQ and automated HSAT was shown to be effective in primary care, especially for moderate and severe OSA. This method provides a practical and efficient approach for the early detection of OSA.