title: Inner ear autoantibodies in patients with rapidly progressive sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: Recognition of immune-mediated sensorineural deafness that responds to immunosuppressive therapy has led to a search for a diagnostic assay to identify inner ear autoantibodies. Without a confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune disease, many patients have undergone inappropriate immunosuppressive treatment or developed irreversible inner ear damage. Serum from patients with progressive sensorineural hearing loss (n = 54), ulcerative colitis (N = 5), normal controls (N = 14), and animals with experimental autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (EASNHL) were analyzed by Western blot against fresh bovine inner ear antigen preparations. The hearing loss group (19 [35%]) showed a single-or double-band migrating at 68,000 molecular weight (MW), differing from the normal group (1 of 14 [7%]) which showed a similar band (P = .031). Upon analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis both the EASNHL guinea pigs and a patient reacted against identical components of inner ear antigen. These results suggest an autoimmune basis for disease in patients reacting against the 68,000 MW antigen.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San Diego Medical Center 92103.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001299:Audiometry; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D003051:Cochlea / Q000276:immunology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents