May 10, 2026SLEEP0 citations
View Full Paper0332 Reduced Tissue IL-10 in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Linked to Impaired Insulin Signaling
Key Result
Obstructive sleep apnea was associated with reduced adipose tissue IL-10 levels compared to controls (1.25 vs 1.93 pg/mg; p≈0.04), and exogenous IL-10 enhanced adipocyte insulin signaling.
Key Points
- This research aims to investigate the reduction of IL-10 in tissues of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its effect on insulin signaling.
- Obtained adipose and colon tissues from adults with and without OSA to measure IL-10 levels.
- Used high-sensitivity ELISA to quantify IL-10 concentrations in homogenized tissues.
- Isolated stromal vascular fraction and assessed insulin pathway activation after exogenous IL-10 treatment.
- IL-10 levels in OSA adipose tissue were 35% lower (1.25 ± 0.05 vs 1.93 ± 0.78 pg/mg; p ≈ 0.04).
- IL-10 in OSA colon tissue showed a reduction of 58% (3.86 ± 1.8 vs 9.24 ± 4.58 pg/mg; p = 0.057).
- IL-10–conditioned SVF boosted insulin signaling in adipocytes, p-Akt/Akt ratios were 1.54 ± 0.22 vs 1.07 ± 0.21.
Study Design
Type
Observational
Structured PICO
Does exogenous IL-10 improve insulin signaling in human adipose cells from patients with obstructive sleep apnea?
P
Population
Adipose and colon tissues from adults with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (n=5-6 for adipose, n=5 for colon). Fresh OSA adipose tissue was used to isolate the stromal vascular fraction (SVF).
I
Intervention
Recombinant human IL-10 (10 ng/mL, 4 h) pre-treatment of purified SVF, then applied to matched donor adipocytes ± exogenous insulin.
C
Comparator
Vehicle pre-treatment.
O
Outcome
Tissue IL-10 concentrations and insulin pathway activation (assessed by p-Akt/total Akt ratio).surrogate
Tissue IL-10 is reduced in OSA patients, and exogenous IL-10 enhances insulin signaling in OSA adipose preparations, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for OSA-related metabolic dysfunction.
Main Result
Effect estimate: ~35% reduction
Absolute Event Rate: 1.25% vs 1.93%
p-value: p=≈ 0.04
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) drives cardiometabolic disease in part through chronic, low-grade inflammation. While circulating interleukin-10 (IL-10) findings in OSA have been inconsistent, we hypothesized that local anti-inflammatory capacity is diminished at the tissue level, thereby sustaining systemic inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. We therefore examined whether IL-10 is reduced in human OSA tissues despite equivocal plasma data, and tested whether exogenous IL-10 can directly improve insulin signaling in human adipose cells, supporting a translational anti-inflammatory strategy. Methods We partnered with the MU OneHealth Biorepository to obtain adipose and colon tissues from adults with and without OSA. Tissues were homogenized and IL-10 concentrations quantified using a high-sensitivity ELISA (Human IL-10 Quantikine HS, R 1.25 ± 0.05 vs 1.93 ± 0.78 pg/mg; p ≈ 0.04; n = 5–6) and showed a pronounced decrease in OSA colon (~58% reduction; 3.86 ± 1.8 vs 9.24 ± 4.58 pg/mg; p = 0.057; n = 5) relative to non-OSA controls. In preliminary functional assays from two independent OSA adipose samples, IL-10–conditioned SVF augmented adipocyte insulin signaling compared with vehicle, with p-Akt/Akt ratios of 1.54 ± 0.22 vs 1.07 ± 0.21, respectively, following insulin stimulation, consistent with partial restoration of insulin pathway responsiveness. Conclusion Tissue IL-10 is reduced in adipose and colonic samples from OSA patients, indicating a localized anti-inflammatory deficit that may underlie heightened cardiometabolic risk. Exogenous IL-10 enhances insulin signaling in primary human adipose preparations from OSA donors, supporting IL-10–based or IL-10–inducing interventions as potential adjuncts to CPAP to mitigate OSA-related metabolic dysfunction. Support (if any) NIH grant HL166617