Distribution of HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 Alleles in Patients with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

• Published in: Acta oto-laryngologica 2000, Vol.120 (6), p.710-715
• Main Authors: YEO, Sang W, CHANG, Ki-Hong, SUH, Byung-Do, KIM, Tai-Gyu, HOON HAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Audiometry, Pure-Tone - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Ear, auditive nerve, cochleovestibular tract, facial nerve: diseases, semeiology; Ent. Stomatology; Female; Gene Frequency - genetics; Gene Frequency - immunology; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Hearing Loss, Sudden - diagnosis; Hearing Loss, Sudden - drug therapy; Hearing Loss, Sudden - ethnology; Hearing Loss, Sudden - genetics; Hearing Loss, Sudden - immunology; HLA-A Antigens - genetics; HLA-A Antigens - immunology; HLA-B Antigens - genetics; HLA-B Antigens - immunology; HLA-DR Antigens - genetics; HLA-DR Antigens - immunology; HLA-DRB1 Chains; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Korea - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Prednisone - therapeutic use; Recovery of Function; Severity of Illness Index; Tropical medicine
• ISSN: 0001-6489; 1651-2251
• DOI: 10.1080/000164800750000225

This study was performed to investigate the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and susceptibility to sudden sensorineural hearing loss in the Korean population. HLA-A and HLA-B typing using a standard microlymphocytotoxicity technique and HLA-DRB1 genotyping were performed in 35 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and in 206 healthy controls. Prednisone (usual dose 60 mg/day) was administered for 6 days and tapered for an additional 4-6 days. Both initial hearing levels at the onset of deafness and final hearing levels after treatment were examined and evaluated for association with HLA alleles. The frequency of HLA-DRB1*14 was increased in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss compared with controls (relative risk [RR]=2.7, p=0.016). The frequencies of HLA-A2, -A31, -B52, -B61, -DRB1*04, -DRB1*11 and -DRB1*12 were slightly higher than in the controls, but did not reach statistical significance. When an association between the treatment results and HLA alleles was also evaluated, the frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 was found to be increased in the patients who did not respond to steroid treatment compared with both patients who responded well to steroid (50% vs 16%, p=0.034) and controls (RR=3.0, p=0.046). These results suggest that there is an association between HLA-DRB1*14 and disease susceptibility and that the presence of HLA-DRB1*04 may be an useful marker for predicting a poor prognosis in Korean patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss