We conducted a cross-sectional
study to investigate associations
of particulate matter (PM) of less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic
diameter (PM2.5) and PM deposition with nocturnal changes
in body composition in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. A bioelectric
impedance analysis was used to measure the pre- and postsleep body
composition of 185 OSA patients. Annual exposure to PM2.5 was estimated by the hybrid kriging/land-use regression model. A
multiple-path particle dosimetry model was employed to estimate PM
deposition in lung regions. We observed that an increase in the interquartile
range (IQR) (1 μg/m3) of PM2.5 was associated
with a 20.1% increase in right arm fat percentage and a 0.012 kg increase
in right arm fat mass in OSA (p < 0.05). We observed
that a 1 μg/m3 increase in PM deposition in lung
regions (i.e., total lung region, head and nasal region, tracheobronchial
region, and alveolar region) was associated with increases in changes
of fat percentage and fat mass of the right arm (β coefficient)
(p < 0.05). The β coefficients decreased
as follows: alveolar region > head and nasal region > tracheobronchial
region > total lung region (p < 0.05). Our
findings
demonstrated that an increase in PM deposition in lung regions, especially
in the alveolar region, could be associated with nocturnal changes
in the fat percentage and fat mass of the right arm. PM deposition
in the alveolar region could accelerate the body fat accumulation
in OSA