title: Evaluation of brainstem auditory evoked potentials and their relationshipwith levels of thyroid autoantibodies in patients with vitiligo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitiligo is a common depigmenting disorder. The damage can also occur in similar ways to melanocytes within other organs. We evaluated the brainstem and auditory pathway functions by evaluating brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and whether there is any relationship between auditory functions and autoimmunity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty patients with vitiligo and 20 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Thyroid functions and autoantibodies were examined and BAEP tests were assessed by a neurologist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and antithyroglobulin (anti-TGA) antibody positivity was higher in the patient group (P < 0.05). A negative correlation was detected between anti-TPO and lead III, IV, and V latency and I-III interpeak latency (IPL) of the right ear together with lead IV latency and I-V IPL of the left ear in the patient group. When each BAEP parameter was compared between the two groups, more abnormalities were detected in the V latency and III-V IPL of the left ear together with IV and V latency of the right ear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study the presence of a correlation between increased anti-TGA and anti-TPO levels and BAEP parameters may be related to an autoimmune-mediated mechanism. However, further studies are needed to be performed in a large patient series.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Turkey.
authors: İlhan
authors: İ
authors: Çeçen
authors: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul Medeniyet University, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors: Ayşe Serap
authors: AS
authors: Karadağ
authors: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Turkey.
authors: Temel
authors: T
authors: Tombul
authors: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Yüzüncü Yıl University, Van, Turkey.
authors: Serap
authors: S
authors: Güneş Bilgili
authors: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Ömer
authors: Ö
authors: Çalka
authors: Department of Medicine, CMC Neurology Section, Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors: Ahmet Zübeyir
authors: AZ
authors: Burakgazi
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001933:Brain Stem; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D006801:Humans; D013961:Thyroid Gland; D014820:Vitiligo
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies
keywords: Brainstem auditory evoked potentials; thyroid autoimmunity; vitiligo