OBJECTIVETo investigate the relation of plasma vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS) in children.

METHODSEighty children were recruited from October 2008 to March 2009, including 60 children with snoring and 20 healthy children without snoring as control. Plasma VEGF or TNF-α concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) respectively. Sixty children with snoring underwent an overnight polysomnography test their PSG data, including whole night mean saturation (MSaO2), lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2), desaturation cumulate time/total sleep time (DCT/TST), oxygen desaturation index 3 (ODI3), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), obstructive apnea index (OAI), were collected and analysed. SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSThe levels of plasma VEGF and TNF-α in children with OSAHS(540.45 pg/ml and 311.94 pg/ml) were higher than those in children with snoring alone (234.45 pg/ml and 97.55 pg/ml) or those in healthy children (259.80 pg/ml and 120.70 pg/ml), with statistically significant differences(HC value:14.176 and 15.571, P < 0.05, respectively), but with no statistical difference between children with snoring alone and healthy children (P > 0.05). The differences in plasma VEGF or TNF-α levels between children with moderate and severe hypoxemia and children with mild hypoxemia were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between plasma level of VEGF or TNF-α and LSaO2, MSaO2, ODI3, DCT/TST, OAI, AHI or BMI (r values were <0.5, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPlasma levels of VEGF and TNF-α increase in children with OSAHS.