ArticleRespiratory research2019
Desmin and dystrophin abnormalities in upper airway muscles of snorers and patients with sleep apnea.
Article in Respiratory research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Desmin is not ubiquitously expressed in head and neck muscle fibers.Journal of anatomy · 2026Article
- Integrative transcriptomic analysis reveals diagnostic biomarkers for comorbidity of coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnea.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2025Article
- Desmin gene expression is not ubiquitous in all upper airway myofibers and the pattern differs between healthy and sleep apnea subjects.European journal of medical research · 2024Article
- Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing in Resistant Hypertensive Patients With and Without Sleep Obstructive Apnea.Dysphagia · 2022Observational
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Role of the Diaphragm.Cureus · 2022Review
- Global O-GlcNAcylation changes impact desmin phosphorylation and its partition toward cytoskeleton in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells differentiated into myotubes.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Myopathy of the upper airway in snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2022Article
- What does desmin do: A bibliometric assessment of the functions of the muscle intermediate filament.Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) · 2022Article
- Absence of Desmin in Myofibers of the Zebrafish Extraocular Muscles.Translational vision science & technology · 2020Article
- Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and the Brazilian version of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 in resistant hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnea.Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngologyArticle
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe pathophysiology of obstruction and swallowing dysfunction in snores and sleep apnea patients remains unclear. Neuropathy and to some extent myopathy have been suggested as contributing causes. Recently we reported an absence and an abnormal isoform of two cytoskeletal proteins, desmin, and dystrophin, in upper airway muscles of healthy humans. These cytoskeletal proteins are considered vital for muscle function. We aimed to investigate for muscle cytoskeletal abnormalities in upper airways and its association with swallowing dysfunction and severity of sleep apnea.
methodsCytoskeletal proteins desmin and dystrophin were morphologically evaluated in the uvula muscle of 22 patients undergoing soft palate surgery due to snoring and sleep apnea and in 10 healthy controls. The muscles were analysed with immunohistochemical methods, and swallowing function was assessed using videoradiography.
resultsDesmin displayed a disorganized pattern in 21 ± 13% of the muscle fibres in patients, while these fibers were not present in controls. Muscle fibres lacking desmin were present in both patients and controls, but the proportion was higher in patients (25 ± 12% vs. 14 ± 7%, p = 0.009). The overall desmin abnormalities were significantly more frequent in patients than in controls (46 ± 18% vs. 14 ± 7%, p < 0.001). In patients, the C-terminus of the dystrophin molecule was absent in 19 ± 18% of the desmin-abnormal muscle fibres. Patients with swallowing dysfunction had 55 ± 10% desmin-abnormal muscle fibres vs. 22 ± 6% in patients without swallowing dysfunction, p = 0.002.
conclusionCytoskeletal abnormalities in soft palate muscles most likely contribute to pharyngeal dysfunction in snorers and sleep apnea patients. Plausible causes for the presence of these abnormalities is traumatic snoring vibrations, tissue stretch or muscle overload.
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