Methods and kits for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea

A method for determining whether to initiate or continue prophylaxis or treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in a subject, comprising:

• (a) providing a series of biological samples over a time period from the subject;
• (b) analyzing the series of biological samples to determine an amount in each of the biological samples of a Urocortin III peptide;
• and
• (c) comparing any measurable change in the amounts of the Urocortin III peptide in each of the biological samples to thereby determine whether to initiate or continue the prophylaxis or therapy of the obstructive sleep apnea,
• wherein analyzing the series of biological samples to determine the amount in each of the biological samples of the Urocortin III peptide comprises determining the amount in the sample using mass spectrometry analysis, immunoassay analysis, or both,
• wherein the mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is selected from the group consisting of liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS), and
• wherein the immunoassay analysis is selected from the group consisting of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an immunoturbidimetric assay.