Serum sTREM2: A Potential Biomarker for Mild Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Xu Jiahuan; Zou Ying; Jin Hongyu; Wei Zhijing; Guan Shibo; Deng Chengyue; Fu Liangyu; Liu Fan; Wang Wei

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.843828

Serum sTREM2: A Potential Biomarker for Mild Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 May 9:14:843828. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.843828. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xu Jiahuan¹, Zou Ying², Jin Hongyu¹, Wei Zhijing¹, Guan Shibo¹, Deng Chengyue¹, Fu Liangyu¹, Liu Fan¹, Wang Wei¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
² Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Center, Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Abstract

Objective: Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that leads to poor quality of life and a heavier medical burden. However, the assessment and longitudinal tracking of cognitive impairment in OSA is challenging. This study aimed to examine the alternation and related factors of serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2) in patients with OSA, and to explore whether serum sTREM2 could be a biomarker for mild cognitive impairment in OSA patients.

Methods: A total of 94 OSA patients and 13 snoring subjects were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Demographic information, questionnaires, and polysomnography results were collected. Serum sTREM2 levels were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariate linear regression was used to analyze the factors influencing sTREM2, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the predictive value of serum sTREM2 for mild cognitive impairment in patients with OSA.

Results: Patients with OSA had higher serum sTREM2 levels than the controls. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that serum sTREM2 levels in patients with OSA were associated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score and oxygen depletion index levels. Additionally, serum sTREM2 levels were higher in OSA patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) than in those without. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that at a cutoff value of >18,437 pg/ml, the sensitivity of serum sTREM2 to predict MCI in OSA was 64.62%, the specificity was 68.97%, and the area under the curve was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.58-0.81).

Conclusion: Serum sTREM2 levels were elevated in patients with OSA, particularly in those with MCI. It therefore has the potential to be a biomarker for MCI in OSA patients.

Keywords: biomarker; mild cognitive impairment; obstructive sleep apnea; serum; soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2.