Abstract:

The obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS) is a sleep disorder caused by upper airway stenosis, and the main clinical manifestations were apnea, hypopnea, and arousal. In recent years, the incidence of OSAHS shows increasing trend, while its clinical diagnosis method is still relatively simple, and the early accurate diagnosis cannot be achieved. Metabolomics has played an important role in many disciplines such as medicine, pharmacy, and toxicology as an emerging subject, even if its research develops relatively short time. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the studies and applications of metabolomics on OSAHS biomarkers and found that OSAHS could cause changes in some special metabolites, including amino acids, lipids, acylcarnitines, intestinal flora, phospholipids, aromatic hydrocarbons, saturated hydrocarbons, acetone and isoprene. These metabolites involved in various metabolic pathways and mechanisms such as amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress pathway, phospholipid metabolism and endocannabinoids. The differential metabolites existed in a variety of biological samples in patients, including blood, urine, feces, saliva, and tonsil tissue, and some metabolites could be used in the early diagnosis and differential diagnosis of OSAHS and as the reference for further research on the biomarkers and pathogenesis of OSAHS.

Key words: Metabolomics, Metabolites, OSAHS, Biomarkers