Evaluation of oxidative stress in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and overlap syndrome

The aim of this doctoral dissertation was to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA), and overlap syndrome before and after treatment, using serum total oxidant level (TOS) and total antioxidant level (TAS), the most fundamental markers of oxidant-antioxidant balance. The study was conducted on 300 individuals who underwent polysomnography (PSG) at the Chest Diseases Outpatient Clinic and Sleep Center of Yozgat Bozok University, Faculty of Medicine. The OSA group consisted of individuals who underwent polysomnography and whose AHI was > 15 and who received positive airway pressure therapy. The COPD group consisted of individuals diagnosed and treated at the chest diseases outpatient clinic after examination. The overlap group consisted of individuals diagnosed with COPD at the chest diseases outpatient clinic, who also underwent polysomnography and whose AHI was > 15 and who received positive airway pressure therapy. Pre- and post-treatment measurements in each group revealed statistically significant (p<0.05) high TOS and low TAS values before treatment in all three groups. Post-treatment, a decrease in TOS and an increase in TAS were observed. In conclusion, this doctoral study determined that oxidative stress was higher in individuals with OSA, COPD, and overlap syndrome, and that post-treatment oxidative stress decreased and improved parameters indicating disease severity.