Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
CURRENT EYE RESEARCH, cilt.50, sa.1, ss.66-73, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Purpose: To reveal changes in choroidal thickness, retinal vessel density, and serum HIF-1 alpha and TNF-alpha levels in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and their correlation. Methods: This prospective case-control study included 118 patients divided into mild-to-moderate OSAS (n = 40), severe OSAS (n = 39), and a control group (n = 39). Choroidal thickness was evaluated with OCT, vessel density with OCTA, AHI index with polysomnography, and serum HIF-1 alpha and TNF-alpha levels were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The serum HIF-1 alpha values of the participants in the mild-moderate OSAS and severe OSAS groups were [893.25(406.7-2068) and 1027(453-2527), respectively], and were both significantly higher than the control group [(521.5(231.6-2741))] (p < 0.001). Serum TNF-alpha levels did not differ significantly between the groups (p = 0.051).). Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) values of the severe OSAS groups were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). The superficial and deep capillary plexus vascular density (SVD and DVD) values of the severe OSAS group were lower than the control group (p < 0.05). Serum HIF-1 alpha and TNF-alpha levels of all participants were negatively correlated with both their SVD values (p < 0.05, r: -0.220 and p < 0.05, r: -0.252, respectively) and their DVD values (p < 0.001, r: -0.324 and p = 0.001, r: -0.299, respectively). Conclusions: Increased serum levels of inflammatory mediators (HIF-1 alpha ve TNF-alpha) in OSAS cause a decrease in SFCT, SVD, and DVD, which is an indication of systemic vascular damage. Further research on developing treatment strategies to modulate TNF-alpha ve HIF-1 alpha may help recede vascular morbidity in OSAS patients.