Dangerous Snoring Detectable by New Test

Experts estimate that up to 12% of children snore, and that up to 3% of children may be afflicted by obstructive sleep apnea, a serious medical condition in which breathing stops intermittently and may be linked to mental, behavioral, metabolic, and cardiovascular problems. David Gozal, from the University of Chicago (Illinois, USA), and colleagues assessed 90 children being assessed for breathing problems during sleep (and matched them to 30 controls).  The team utilized a process involving fluorescent dyes to separate and characterize proteins in the urine, and found three proteins in higher concentrations in the urine of children with obstructive sleep apnea: urocortin 3, orosomucoid, and uromodulin; while kallikrein 1, another protein, was found at lower levels in the same children.  Suggesting that: “Proteomic approaches reveal that pediatric [obstructive sleep apnea] is associated with specific and consistent alterations in urinary concentrations of specific protein clusters,” the researchers urge “Future studies … to validate this approach as a screening method of habitually snoring children.”