Marked Decrease in Sleepiness in Patients with Sleep Apnea by Etanercept, a Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Antagonist

The proinflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-6, are elevated in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and have been proposed as mediators of excessive daytime sleepiness in humans. We tested the effects of etanercept, a medication that neutralizes TNFα and is approved by the FDA for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, in eight obese male apneics. These patients participated in a pilot, placebo-controlled, double-blind study during which nighttime...