Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms and sleep quality in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of polymorphism on sleep parameters of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) patients.

Methods: Patients were genotyped after a full-night polysomnography using the large Epidemiologic Sleep Study of São Paulo population-based sample.

Results: Individuals who carry the APOE ε2 allele showed longer sleep latency, lower sleep efficiency and higher numbers of arousals/hour, when compared to ε3 allele homozygous and carriers of ε4 allele (p<0.05). These findings remained significant even after correction for potential confounders, such as sex, age and African genetic ancestry.

Conclusion: The APOE polymorphisms may modulate the effects of intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation in the sleep architecture of OSAS patients, and that the presence of the ε2 allele may serve as a biological marker for the identification of a subgroup of patients who are more likely to suffer with OSAS detrimental effects on sleep, impacting not only the daily functioning, but also their quality of life.