Antibodies to myelin protein zero (P0) protein as markers of auto-immune inner ear diseases.
OBJECTIVE
The inner ear can be the target of autoimmune disorders. Recognition of autoimmune inner ear disease is important, as it is one of the very few forms of sensorineural hearing loss (HL) that can be successfully treated by medical therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the detection of antibodies to myelin protein P0 (MPZ) could be a diagnostic test for inner ear disease of autoimmune cause.


METHODS
This multicentric prospective study included 129 patients: patients with progressive sensorineural HL or with Menière's disease, together with their control group corresponding to patients with similar symptoms, but of presumably known origin. Detection of antibodies to myelin P0 protein was performed by using western blots. NORMAL: The prevalence of antibodies to myelin P0 protein in patients with rapidly progressive HL was not statistically different from that of the control group corresponding to genetic HL patients (30 versus 28%). In patients with Menière's disease, the prevalence was lower than that of the control group corresponding to patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (5.4 versus 18.7%). No patient with auto-immune disease had antibodies to myelin P0 protein.


CONCLUSIONS
The sole presence of antibodies to myelin P0 may not be used as a marker of inner ear disease of autoimmune origin.
Pham
Bach-Nga
BN
Département d'Immunologie Microbiologie des Pathologies Infectieuses, AP-HP, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France. bnpham@ints.fr
Rudic
Milan
M
Bouccara
Didier
D
Sterkers
Olivier
O
Belmatoug
Nadia
N
Bébéar
Jean-Pierre
JP
Couloigner
Vincent
V
Fraysse
Bernard
B
Gentine
André
A
Ionescu
Eugène
E
Robier
Alain
A
Sauvage
Jean-Pierre
JP
Truy
Eric
E
Van Den Abbeele
Thierry
T
Ferrary
Evelyne
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D020274:Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018993:Myelin P0 Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D018993:Myelin P0 Protein