title: Increased antisecretory factor reduces vertigo in patients with Ménière's disease: a pilot study.
abstract: It has been hypothesized that the symptoms of vertigo in patients with Ménière's disease somehow are related to impaired production and/or transport of endolymph. Antisecretory factor (AF) is a protein known to affect transport processes in the intestine and it has been shown that intake of specially processed cereals (SPC) can increase endogenous AF synthesis. In a prospective open pilot study, 24 patients with severe Ménière's disease (functional level scale 5-6 according to the criteria of AAO-HNS) received SPC for 14-30 days. AF levels in plasma increased by 83% in 20 of the 24 patients studied. The attacks of rotatory vertigo were reduced, to final AAO-HNS functional level scale 1-3, in 12 patients and in three of these hearing was normalized. Twelve patients had no or minor effects of the treatment. The correlation between AF activity after treatment and the final AAO-HNS functional level scale was -0.65, P<0.001. Studies in rats using immunohistochemistry methods showed that AF was localized to the cochlea and the vestibule of the inner ear. The present results suggest that AF might be a new regulator of the endolymph.
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg University, S-413 45 Göteborg, Sweden. per.hanner@vgregion.se
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hanner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jennische
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lönnroth
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wahlström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000737:chemistry; D002523:Edible Grain; D005260:Female; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D014717:Vertigo / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; C049628:antisecretory factor