A Cross-sectional Study Examining Adipose Tissue in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

February 11, 2026 updated by: Virend Somers, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic
Studies show that sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and is associated with obesity. However, it is unclear how sleep apnea affects fat tissue. Studies have shown that fat tissue is likely involved in developing cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to see how sleep apnea changes fat tissue.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

In recent years, the contribution of adipose tissue to obesity-related insulin resistance (IR), diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become clear.In particular, accumulation of damaged cells in obese and aging adipose tissue has been shown to impair adipose tissue function and may thus increase CVD risk. Cellular and molecular alterations in adipose tissue are known to contribute to adipose tissue and systemic insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and may lead to higher blood pressure. Importantly, any clinical consequences of adipose tissue dysfunction would be compounded by the large amount, and central metabolic role, of adipose tissue in humans. However, there is a gap in our understanding of the OSA-induced changes in the adipose tissue and its implication for development of cardiometabolic disorders.

The aim of this study is to examine the cellular and molecular composition of adipose tissue in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) subjects in comparison to adipose tissue from healthy individuals. We hypothesize that adipose tissue from OSA subjects will have a higher accumulation of markers of cellular damage with positive p16 and γH2AX. These studies will provide pivotal insights into pathways that may be targeted to reduce cardiometabolic burden in OSA population.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55901
        • Recruiting
        • Mayo Clinic
        • Contact:
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Subjects with obstructive sleep apnea and healthy subjects without chronic diseases and interested in participating will be enrolled in this study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria

  • BMI ≤40 kg/m2
  • Not a current smoker or tobacco user
  • Individuals with treated hypertension, prehypertension, and dyslipidemia will be allowed to participate in the study
  • On no prescription medications other than those medications used to treat asthma, seasonal or environmental allergies (such as Cetirizine, Fexofenadine, Desloratadine, Loratadine, etc), depression, acid reflux (such as antacids or proton pump inhibitors), topical skin treatment medications or shampoos, contraceptive pills, or intrauterine devices. Other medications may be allowed at the discretion of the study staff.
  • Not pregnant or breast feeding and not intending to become pregnant or breast feed
  • Ability to provide written informed consent
  • If a subject is on aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory medication but free of known vascular disease and depending on the indication, the study doctor may ask the subject to suspend aspirin or anti-inflammatory therapy for 7 days prior to participation in the study. In the event that the subject does not stop the aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medication, they will not be able to participate in the study because of the risk of bleeding during the fat biopsy.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Vulnerable study population will be excluded
  • Presence of chronic kidney disease (creatinine >2.5 mg/dL) and/or active cancers
  • Pregnancy
  • Anemic (hemoglobin <12 g/dL for men and <11 g/dL for women)
  • Smoking
  • Use of chronic medications (statins, anti-inflammatory drugs, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and/or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors)
  • Blood or plasma donation during the past 2 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is defined as having Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) >=5
Non-Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Non-Obstructive sleep apnea is defined as having Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) < 5

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Prevalence of dual positive p16^IND4A and gamma H2AX cells in adipose tissue
Time Frame: Day 2
Positivity for both (p16^IND4A and γH2AX) serves as a marker of cellular damage. A fat biopsy from the abdomen and thigh will be performed to obtain up to 1 gm of adipose tissue from each site. These fat samples will be batched for analysis.
Day 2

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Prevalence of phosphorylated p53 (pp53) in adipose tissue
Time Frame: Day 2
Presence of pp53 as a ratio of phospho to total p53 to access cellular damage in adipose tissue.
Day 2
24- h mean arterial pressure
Time Frame: Day 2
ambulatory measure of blood pressure in mmHg
Day 2
Vascular endothelial function
Time Frame: Day 2
Change in Brachial artery diameter in response to hyperemia
Day 2
Insulin sensitivity
Time Frame: Day 2
Oral glucose tolerance testing
Day 2
Body composition
Time Frame: Day 1
Percentage body fat content
Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Mayo Clinic

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Virend Somers, MD., Ph.D, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 8, 2018

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 6, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 6, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 11, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 11, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 17-003825
  • R01HL065176 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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