Gene variants associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in relation to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

BackgroundBoth obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and (at least a fraction of) sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are associated with impaired respiration. For OSA, an association with several gene variants was identified. Therefore, our hypothesis is that these polymorphisms might be of relevance in SIDS as well.MethodsTwenty-four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 21 candidate genes connected to OSA, were genotyped in a total of 282 SIDS cases and 374 controls. Additionally, subgroups based on factors codetermining the SIDS risk (age, sex, season, and prone position) were established and compared as well.ResultsTwo of the analyzed SNPs showed nominally significant differences between SIDS and control groups: rs1042714 inADRB2(adrenoceptor beta 2) and rs1800541 inEDN1(endothelin 1). In the subgroup analyses, 10 further SNPs gave significant results. Nevertheless, these associations did not survive adjustment for multiple testing.ConclusionsOur results suggest that there might be a link between SIDS and OSA and its resulting respiratory and cardiovascular problems, albeit this predisposition might be dependent on the combination with other, hitherto unknown gene variants. These findings may encourage replication studies to get a better understanding of this connection.