Single-cell RNA-sequencing reveals cellular heterogeneity and identifies biomarkers for obstructive sleep apnea and migraine.

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a prevalent sleep disorder associated with migraine, has unclear effects on cellular heterogeneity within this comorbid context.

RESULTS

A total of 75,502 cells from five cell types were identified from OSA and non-OSA samples (GSE214865), while 20,243 cells from four cell types were identified from migraine and healthy control samples (GSE269117). T cells were the most abundant immune cells in patients with OSA and migraine. HIF-1/NF-κB signaling had significant activity. FOS, FOSB, PDE3B, KLF6, RPS26, MTRNR2L8, MT-ATP8, PLCG2, and CCR7 were the key biomarkers of both OSA and migraine. A TCMNP software-based network was constructed with drug prediction revealed significant associations between Ma Huang and Bai Guo and their active components TCM00192 and TCM02096. Natural killer T cells were the least differentiated subtype and were inferred to be the starting point, closely connected to CD8+ T cells.

CONCLUSION

Single-cell RNA analysis revealed a shared T cell-centered immune-dysregulated landscape in OSA and migraine, identifying common biomarkers and key pathways. These findings provide a crucial foundation for understanding comorbidities and developing new therapies.