Identificación de Biomarcadores para la Mejora en la Detección y Monitoreo del Síndrome de Apnea Obstructiva del Sueño

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder characterized by recurrent upper airway obstruction during sleep, resulting in intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic disturbances. Untreated OSA is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, stroke, impaired quality of life, and all-cause mortality. Despite the availability of polysomnography as the reference diagnostic method, current diagnostic approaches have limited accessibility and do not adequately reflect disease burden or predict treatment response. The primary objective of this study is to identify and validate blood biomarkers associated with the presence, severity, and treatment response of OSA. The investigators hypothesize that selected circulating proteins, inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress markers, and metabolic profiles can improve the screening, diagnosis, risk stratification, and monitoring of patients with OSA. A total of 120 adults will undergo standardized clinical evaluation and overnight polysomnography. Participants diagnosed with moderate-to-severe OSA will be randomly assigned to either immediate or delayed initiation of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, whereas participants without OSA will serve as the control group. Blood samples will be collected at predefined study visits to evaluate changes in candidate biomarkers before and during treatment. The study will investigate a broad panel of biomarkers representing inflammatory pathways, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and metabolomic alterations using validated laboratory techniques, including multiplex immunoassays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), and metabolomic analyses. Changes in biomarker profiles will be evaluated in relation to OSA severity and response to PAP therapy. The results of this study are expected to improve the understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying OSA and facilitate the development of novel biomarker-based approaches for screening, diagnosis, disease monitoring, and personalized management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea.