Ching-Chi Lin: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan. Electronic address: cclinpro@yahoo.com.
Wei-Ji Chen: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Lukang Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
Yi-Kun Sun: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Chung-Hsin Chiu: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Mei-Wei Lin: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
I-Shiang Tzeng: Department of Research, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
PURPOSE: Resolvin is a checkpoint controller in inflammation. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is an airway remodeling regulator. We evaluated the levels of resolvin and MMP-9 protein in the serum and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. METHOD: We enrolled 20 non-OSA snorers and 40 patients with moderate to severe OSA scheduled for CPAP treatment. ELISA was used to assess resolvin and MMP-9 levels in the serum and EBC. All patients underwent sleep assessment at baseline and 3 months after CPAP. RESULTS: There was no between-group difference; moreover, there were no differences in the pre- and post-treatment serum levels of resolvin and MMP-9 in patients with OSA. Compared with non-OSA snorers, patients with OSA had lower resolvin and higher MMP-9 levels in the EBC. After CPAP treatment, the EBC levels of resolvin and MMP-9 in patients with OSA returned to normal. CONCLUSIONS: Successful OSA treatment by CPAP can normalize EBC levels of resolvin and MMP-9.
