title: The relevance of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis-related hormones to the cochlear symptoms in Ménière's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical) axis-related hormones with the progression of cochlear symptoms in patients with Ménière's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical assessments (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory: THI, visual analog scale to rate the degree of the tinnitus: VAS, hearing levels in pure-tone audiometry) were conducted upon entry into the study (baseline) and at 12 weeks follow-up (week 12). Blood sampling to measure HPA axis-related hormones took place between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. at baseline and at 12 weeks follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of 20 unilateral Ménière's disease patients and 21 patients with other diseases with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant deterioration of the hearing level at high frequency range, especially at 2 kHz, was found during the 12 weeks follow-up in the Ménière's disease group (p < 0.05). The average hearing levels significantly correlated with the serum cortisol level at baseline and week 12 in the Ménière's disease group, especially regarding the high frequency levels (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the cortisol levels influence the endolymphatic homeostasis resulting in a deterioration of hearing at high frequency with upstaging of Ménière's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu City, Japan. aoki@gifu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wakaoka
authors.forename: Hisamitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takezumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishihori
authors.forename: Bunya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuze
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: Yatsuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D010907:Pituitary Hormones