Anti-endothelial autoantibodies in patients with sudden hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
Sudden hearing loss (HL) can be caused by autoimmune disorders localized to the inner ear or secondary to systemic immune diseases. Studies in autoimmune animal strains showing HL have reported changes in the cochlear stria vascularis. The authors investigated the presence of antiendothelial cell antibodies (AECA) to see if immune-mediated vasculitis may play a role in human sudden HL.


METHODS
A prospective study in patients with sudden HL.


METHODS
Fifteen consecutive patients (mean age, 32 y) affected by sudden HL and 14 normal subjects were included. Patients with familial deafness and metabolic diseases were excluded. Extensive audiovestibular, imaging, microbiological, immunological, and routine examinations were performed. AECA were detected on rat kidney tissue sections on the sera collected at -20 degrees C.


RESULTS
AECA were positive in 8 of 15 patients (53%) (2 of 5 men and 6 of 10 women), thus differing significantly from the normal control population, in which only 2 of 14 tested AECA positive (P = .023).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with sudden HL, immune-mediated vascular damage can have a pathogenetic role and AECA might represent a serological marker of vasculitis.
Ottaviani
F
F
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. iclot@rm.unicatt.it
Cadoni
G
G
Marinelli
L
L
Fetoni
A R
AR
De Santis
A
A
Romito
A
A
Vulpiani
P
P
Manna
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin / Q000032:analysis; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology
D017153:Antibodies, Anticardiolipin; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; C087589:anti-endothelial cell antibody