Correlation of telomere length and DNA damage markers with severity and associated depressive states in patients with OSAS

Yu JiangMeixin QuFeng ChengHuifen SunJie DaiZhen Wu^*

• Affiliated changshu hospital of Nantong University, Changshu, China

Objective: To investigate the correlation between peripheral blood leukocyte relative telomere length (RTL), DNA damage markers, and disease severity and depressive states in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Methods: This study included 110 OSAS patients (categorized into mild-to-moderate and severe groups) and 45 healthy controls. RTL and DNA damage markers (γH2AX and 8-OHdG) were measured across groups. Depressive status was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), with patients classified into depressed (HAMD >7) and non-depressed (HAMD ≤7) subgroups. Pearson correlation analysis evaluated the relationship between biomarkers and disease severity or HAMD scores. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to assess the predictive efficacy of these markers for secondary depression. Results: RTL was significantly shorter in OSAS patients compared to controls, while γH2AX and 8-OHdG levels were elevated, with more pronounced changes in the severe group (all P < 0.05). RTL was negatively correlated with HAMD scores (r = -0.65), whereas γH2AX and 8-OHdG showed positive correlations (r = 0.62 and 0.65, respectively; P < 0.05). The AUC values for predicting secondary depression were 0.665 for RTL, 0.865 for γH2AX, and 0.752 for 8-OHdG. Conclusion: RTL, γH2AX, and 8-OHdG are associated with OSAS severity and show significant correlations with depressive states, demonstrating good predictive value for secondary depression in OSAS patients.