The role of allergy in the etiopathogenesis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

• Published in: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology 2013-05, Vol.270 (6), p.1795-1801
• Main Authors: Keleş, Erol, Sapmaz, Emrah, Gödekmerdan, Ahmet
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Case-Control Studies; Female; Head and Neck Surgery; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural - immunology; Hearing Loss, Sudden - immunology; Humans; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Interleukin-10 - immunology; Interleukin-4 - immunology; Lymphocyte Subsets; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurosurgery; Otology; Otorhinolaryngology; Radioallergosorbent Test; Skin Tests
• ISSN: 0937-4477; 1434-4726
• DOI: 10.1007/s00405-012-2189-y

To evaluate the role of allergy in the etiopathogenesis of sudden hearing loss using cytokine profile, allergic parameters, and lymphocyte subgroups, a total of 31 patients aged between 30 and 62 years (mean age: 42.48 ± 15.86 years) with the diagnosis of sudden hearing loss were enrolled in the study between 2008 and 2011. The control group comprised 30 age-matched adult subjects accepted as clinically healthy individuals living in the same region with comparable socioeconomic parameters. The patient and the control group were questioned for history of allergy. Lymphocyte subgroups in the peripheral blood were evaluated using Becton–Dickinson monoclonal CD4, CD8, CD19, and CD23 antibodies. In the patient and control groups, the levels of IFN- γ, IL4, IL10, and total IgE were measured and compared between the groups. Skin test was used for detection of inhaler allergens in the patient and the control groups, and specific IgE tests were performed using the RAST method for food allergens. The Spearman’s rho correlation, the unpaired t test, the Mann–Whitney U test, and the Shapiro–Wilk test were used to determine the differences between the groups. The limit for statistical significance was p