Serum Serotonin as a Biomarker of the Efficacy of PAP-Therapy in Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Serum serotonin levels were determined by HPLC in 30 patients with diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea syndrome before and after 3-month course of PAP-therapy and in 14 subjects without obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. It was found that elimination of hypoxic conditions was associated with an increase in serotonin level. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of PAP-therapy during sleep and allow assessing the role of serotonin as a potential biomarker of intermittent hypoxia during sleep.