title: Vestibular function disorders and potential mechanisms in irradiation nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Vestibular function disorders were widespread among nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. The radiation doses to the inner ears were associated with the incidence of vestibular function disorders, but the correlations were mild. The inflammatory responses and possible resolution obstacles of inflammation participated in persistent vestibular function disorders after irradiation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the incidence of vestibular function disorders in NPC patients after irradiation and potential mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who received radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy for their NPC were recruited. The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-17 were detected by ELISA method. Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) tests were used to evaluate vestibular function and correlation analyses were used to analyze the potential mechanisms of vestibular function disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight patients were included. The incidences of abnormal ocular VEMP (oVEMP) and cervical VEMP (cVEMP) were 65.79% and 80.26% at the time of completion of radiotherapy, and 61.84% and 71.05% at 3 months after radiotherapy. The mean and maximum radiation doses to the inner ears were both significantly associated with abnormal oVEMP and cVEMP (p < 0.05, all), but the correlations were all mild. The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-17 were both significantly associated with abnormal oVEMP and cVEMP after irradiation (p < 0.05, all).
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Center, the Second Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan , Shandong Province , PR China ;
authors.forename: Dianshui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathology , the Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University , Jinan , Shandong Province , PR China ;
authors.forename: Miaoqing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: c Cancer Center, the Weihai Municipal Hospital , Weihai , Shandong Province , PR China ;
authors.forename: Jinjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Center, the Second Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan , Shandong Province , PR China ;
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: d Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery , the Second Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan , Shandong Province , PR China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: d Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery , the Second Hospital of Shandong University , Jinan , Shandong Province , PR China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019410:Interleukin-16 / Q000097:blood; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000150:complications; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D050397:Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D019410:Interleukin-16; D020381:Interleukin-17
keywords: Inflammatory cytokines; VEMP; intensity-modulated radiotherapy; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; vestibular function disorders