title: A predictive model of the association between gene polymorphism and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss caused by gunfire noise.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the common diseases in otology. In general, we assume that most people who are exposed to loud noise constantly, e.g., soldiers, will suffer from hearing loss. Hearing loss is related to the gene polymorphisms, with the Wolfram syndrome type 1 gene (T2500C), interleukin-4 receptor α chain (Q576R) and chloride channel-Kb (T481S) polymorphisms being most related to NIHL.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the association between the polymorphisms and the risk of NIHL in 119 subjects who were exposed to the same loud gunfire. In the current study, 39 persons with hearing loss and 80 with normal hearing were recruited from military officers and soldiers that were exposed to gunfire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the genetic variation of Wolfram syndrome type 1 gene was a more crucial factor than other genes in causing hearing loss. There was a significant difference (p=0.027) in WFS1 (T2500C) polymorphism between NIHL subjects and controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we found that although loud noise could usually result in hearing damage, the clinical characteristics of hearing loss were irrelevant to gunfire noise. The gene polymorphisms provide predictors for us to evaluate the risk of NIHL prior to gunshot training.
authors.affiliation: Department of Professional Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Ben-Chih
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Feng-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Wen-Tung
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kuo-Hsun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D005389:Firearms; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D053662:Interleukin-4 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012306:Risk
chemical_list: C412733:CLCNKB protein, human; D018118:Chloride Channels; D053662:Interleukin-4 Receptor alpha Subunit; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C114987:wolframin protein