Can immature granulocyte count be a new biomarker for the evaluation of inflammation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome? A single-centre study

Abstract

Background & Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. The potential use of the immature granulocyte count as an inflammation marker in certain diseases has been investigated. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using haemogram parameters including immature granulocyte levels as an inflammatory marker in patients with OSAS and the relationship between this parameter and disease severity.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted using the data of 101 OSAS patients and 114 healthy controls. Demographic and polysomnographic data were recorded in the OSAS group. The OSAS patients were subdivided into three sub-groups according to apnea-hypopnea index. Haemogram parameters, white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HCT), lymphocyte count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet count (PLT), MPV/PLT ratio, PLT/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), WBC/MPV ratio (WMR), IGc and IG percentage (IG%) values were compared between the OSAS and control groups.

Results: Haemogram parameters WBC, HGB, HCT, IGc and IG%, lymphocyte count and WMR values were found to be statistically significantly higher and PLR value was lower in the OSAS group. In OSAS subgroups, only HGB and HCT values were found to be significantly higher, parallel to disease severity. As a result of the ROC analysis between the control and OSAS groups, it was determined that the HCT, WBC, PLR, IGc and IG%, lymphocyte count and WMR values had a significant value in presenting increased inflammation in OSAS.

Conclusion: IGc may be used as a novel parameter to indicate increased inflammation in OSAS patients.