title: Elevated antithyroid peroxidase and antinuclear autoantibody titers in Ménière's disease patients: more than a chance association?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the possible association between Ménière's disease (MD) and autoantibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with definite MD (51 unilateral and 4 bilateral) were matched with 55 patients with unilateral vestibular paresis without cochlear involvement and 55 healthy subjects. Blood samples were collected from all study subjects for the determination of serum TSH, free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, anti-TSH receptor antibody, antithyroperoxidase antibody, antithyroglobulin antibody and of antibodies to non-organ-specific antigens, namely antinuclear antibodies, antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens and antineutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three subjects (60%) of the MD group had 1 or more elevated serum autoantibody levels, both organ and non-organ specific; 16 patients (29.1%) with unilateral vestibular paresis had 1 or more elevated serum autoantibody levels, while 13 healthy subjects (23.6%) had 1 or more elevated serum autoantibody levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our data we speculate that there is a more than a chance association between MD and 'autoimmunity', thus suggesting a hypothetical role of the immune system in MD pathogenesis. In other words, a pathogenetic role of an 'immune dysregulation' in MD patients can be hypothesized.
authors.affiliation: Audiology and Phoniatric Chair, Neuroscience Department, Pisa University, Pisa, Italy. a.nacci@med.unipi.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nacci
authors.forename: Iacopo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dallan
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monzani
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dardano
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Migliorini
authors.forename: Lucrezia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Riente
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ursino
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fattori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine