DECREASE IN IMMUNOREACTIVE NEUTRAL ENDOPEPTIDASE IN UVULA EPITHELIUM OF PATIENTS WITH OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA

The purpose of this study was to determine whether neutral endopeptida se (NEP; EC 3.3.24.11) is decreased in the uvula epithelium of patient s with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Tissues were obtained by uvuloph aryngopalatoplasty in seven patients with moderate OSA and by autopsy in five individuals not known to have OSA. Using antisera to human NEP and immunoperoxidase staining, we found that NEP was localized in uvu la epithelial cells of both patients with OSA and controls. However, t here was a significant decrease in the number of epithelial cells stai ning for NEP in patients with OSA relative to controls (67 +/- 10 cell s versus 261 +/- 33 cells, in 5 randomly selected high-power microscop ic fields, respectively; mean +/- SEM; p < .05). The intensity of stai ning for NEP was similar in both groups. We conclude that immunoreacti ve NEP is significantly decreased in the uvula epithelium of patients with OSA.