A single night of sleep deprivation was found to alter 66 blood proteins, shedding light on potential biomarkers for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, according to a recent pilot study.
The pilot study investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on the human serum proteome, identifying notable molecular alterations after a single night of sleep loss. The study involved eight healthy female participants who were subjected to six hours of sleep deprivation, followed by proteomic analysis of their blood serum using mass spectrometry. Initially, 793 proteins were detected in the human blood serum, and after applying filtering criteria, 494 proteins were selected for further examination. Of these, 63 proteins showed increased expression, while 3 proteins showed decreased expression. The Pearson correlation analysis of the serum samples yielded coefficients between 0.86 and 0.98, reflecting a strong correlation.
The analysis, published in SLEEP Advances, revealed 66 differentially expressed proteins associated with key biological processes, including platelet degranulation, blood coagulation, and cellular regulation. Multiple proteins, such as kininogen-1 (KNG1), serpin family G member 1 (SERPING1), and prothrombin (F2), showed significant upregulation and are linked to coagulation pathways. The study identified the top five enriched biological processes, which were linked to protein activation cascade, platelet degranulation, blood coagulation, coagulation, and hemostasis. Additionally, the study identified disruptions in lipid and cholesterol transport processes, with proteins like apolipoprotein E and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 showing increased expression. These alterations are associated with processes relevant to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions linked to chronic sleep deprivation.
Notably, the upregulation of proteins such as KNG1 and SERPING1, both of which are involved in coagulation and wound healing, is associated with processes related to cardiovascular function. These findings align with previous studies that have reported impacts of short-term sleep deprivation on biological functions related to coagulation, lipid metabolism, and immune responses. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis identified 24 gene sets or signatures that were significantly enriched under sleep deprivation conditions, suggesting correlations between these gene sets and the dataset.
This pilot study identified a molecular signature associated with sleep deprivation, which could serve as biomarkers for sleep-related disorders. Further research is warranted to validate these findings and assess their implications for long-term health risks associated with insufficient sleep.
The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest.
