Key result
Serum PLIN-2 correlates with OSA severity but loses independent association after adjusting for insulin resistance.
Why the study?
Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with metabolic and lipid dysregulation, and perilipin-2 may reflect these alterations, motivating an evaluation of its association with OSA and disease severity.
Do serum PLIN-2 levels correlate with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea?
Cross-Sectional (n=231)
No
Do serum PLIN-2 levels correlate with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea?
Serum PLIN-2 is a novel biomarker that correlates with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea, potentially reflecting associated metabolic and lipid-related disturbances.
Should not yet serve as independent OSA biomarker; leaves open its ties to insulin resistance-mediated metabolic pathways.
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is a common sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent upper airway collapse during sleep and is closely associated with metabolic dysregulation, including insulin resistance, adipose tissue dysfunction, and impaired lipid metabolism. Perilipin-2 (PLIN-2), a lipid droplet-associated protein involved in triglyceride storage and regulation of lipolysis, may reflect alterations in lipid homeostasis associated with OSA. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum PLIN-2 levels and OSA and to assess the relationship between PLIN-2 concentrations and disease severity. Methods: A total of 231 participants were included in this study, comprising 70 healthy controls and 161 patients with OSA. Patients were classified according to apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) as having mild (n = 60), moderate (n = 52), or severe OSA (n = 49). All participants underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG). Results: Serum PLIN-2 levels were significantly higher in patients with OSA and increased progressively with disease severity. PLIN-2 levels were positively correlated with polysomnographic indices of OSA severity, including AHI and oxygen desaturation index. ROC analysis demonstrated good discriminative performance of PLIN-2 for OSA presence and for distinguishing mild from severe OSA. Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate an association between serum PLIN-2 levels and OSA. Our findings suggest that PLIN-2 may serve as a novel biomarker reflecting metabolic and lipid-related disturbances in OSA and may provide new insights into the pathophysiological link between intermittent hypoxia and altered lipid metabolism.
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Sağcan et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Adults aged ≥18 years with obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed by polysomnography, classified as mild, moderate, or severe, and healthy controls without sleep-disordered breathing or metabolic disease (n=231). Serum Perilipin-2 measurement vs. Healthy controls without OSA was evaluated on Presence of obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed by polysomnography (AHI ≥5) (OR 2.62 for BMI; PLIN-2 independently associated with OSA presence before insulin resistance adjustment (p=0.002); lost significance after adjustment (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.28–2.83, p=0.842), 95% CI 95% CI 0.28–2.83 for PLIN-2 in extended model, p=0.002 (unadjusted), 0.842 (adjusted)). Serum PLIN-2 levels increased with OSA severity and showed good discrimination for OSA presence with AUC 0.849, but lost independent association with OSA after adjusting for insulin resistance.
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