---
title: "Intermittent-Hypoxia Inhibits Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Formation: Role of Cathelicidins"
nct_id: NCT07129486
overall_status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
sponsor: Kun-Ta Chou
study_type: OBSERVATIONAL
primary_condition: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
countries: Taiwan
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT07129486.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07129486"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2025-09-11
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:18:26.585Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Intermittent-Hypoxia Inhibits Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Formation: Role of Cathelicidins

**NCT ID:** [NCT07129486](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07129486)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** NOT_YET_RECRUITING
- **Study Type:** OBSERVATIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 120
- **Lead Sponsor:** Kun-Ta Chou
- **Collaborators:** National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan
- **Conditions:** Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- **Start Date:** 2025-09
- **Completion Date:** 2028-07
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2025-09-11

## Brief Summary

The study will enroll 80 moderate-to-severe Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients (40 obese) and 40 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched controls. Venous blood will be collected to isolate neutrophils, which will be tested for the ability to produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) along with the levels of LL-37 and NETs products in the blood. Measurements will be repeat after three months treatment for OSA.

## Detailed Description

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by repetitive upper airway collapse during sleep, thereby leading to intermittent hypoxia (IH). Literature revealed OSA confers a higher risk for poor infection outcomes, suggestive of defective immunity in those patients. This research aimed to investigate whether IH inhibits neutrophils to produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) via Cathelicidins (LL-37). The human study will enroll 80 moderate-to-severe OSA patients (40 obese) and 40 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched controls. Venous blood will be collected to isolate neutrophils, which receive either IH treatment (1% O2 for 35 mins and 21% for 25 mins per cycle, 3 cycles) or normoxic treatment. The neutrophils will be tested for the ability to produce NETs along with the levels of LL-37 and NETs products in the blood. Measurements will be repeat three months after the mainstay continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 20 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** Yes

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* At least 20 years old, with moderate to severe OSA (AHI ≥ 15/hour), and willing to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Under 20 years old, suffering from diseases or conditions that may affect immune function (e.g., tumors, chemotherapy, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, etc.), or unwilling to participate in the study
```

## Arms

- **OSA** — participants with OSA
- **Control** — Participants without OSA

## Interventions

- **CPAP** (DEVICE) — Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard treatment for moderate to severe OSA in clinical practice.

## Primary Outcomes

- **NET activity of neutrophils induced by PMA** _(time frame: From enrollment to receiving CPAP therapy for 3 months)_ — 10 cc peripheral venous blood of participants will be collected at enrollment and 3 months after CPAP therapy (if received it). Neutrophils are isolated from peripheral blood and stimulated with PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) to induce the formation of NETs. The effects were tested with or without intermittent hypoxia (IH) treatment (1% O₂ for 35 minutes followed by 21% O₂ for 25 minutes per cycle, repeated for three cycles). The extent of NETs formation was assessed by confocal microscopy and images were exported as multi-channel TIFF files and analyzed using custom Python scripts (NumPy, scikit-image).
- **DNA-MPO (Myeloperoxidase) complex in plasma** _(time frame: From enrollment to receiving CPAP therapy for 3 months)_ — Description: 10 cc peripheral venous blood of participants will be collected at enrollment and 3 months after CPAP therapy (if received it). Plasma is collected and tested for DNA-MPO (Myeloperoxidase) complex by ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).
- **LL-37 level in plasma** _(time frame: From enrollment to receiving CPAP therapy for 3 months)_ — 10 cc peripheral venous blood of participants will be collected at enrollment and 3 months after CPAP therapy (if received it). Plasma is collected and tested for LL-37 by ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).

## Locations (1)

- Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.collaborators` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.taipei veterans general hospital|taipei|taipei|taiwan` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT07129486.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07129486*  
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