[Detection of humoral immune response to inner ear proteins in patients with sensorineural hearing loss].

BACKGROUND

The precise mechanism of inner ear disease is still unknown. An autoimmune reaction could be one of several possible pathogenic factors involved in progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Heat shock protein 70 is suggested to play an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study is the investigation of humoral immune reactivity to inner ear components in patients with sensorineural hearing loss.

METHODS

The presence of antibodies to inner ear components was determined by immuno-blotting extracted bovine or human inner ear proteins. Study groups consisted of patients with idiopathic progressive sensorineural hearing loss (group A), patients with Menière's disease (group B), patients with sudden hearing loss (group C), patients with otosclerosis (group D), patients with Cogan's disease (group E), and individuals without hearing problems (group F).

RESULTS

40% of the patients with progressive sensorineural hearing loss showed reactivity against a 68-kDa protein extracted from bovine inner ear. In contrast to this, only 5% of healthy individuals and 10% with Menière's disease showed reactivity against the 68-kDa protein from bovine inner ear or against bovine heat shock protein 70. Some of the patients who showed reactivity against bovine inner ear proteins were tested with human inner ear and human heat shock protein 70; all of these showed reactivity. Approximately 6% of the patients with sudden hearing loss (group C), otosclerosis (group D), and Cogan's disease (group E) showed reactivity to inner ear proteins. A non-specific humoral immune reaction against inner ear proteins with molecular weights of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 220 kDa was observed in all patients.

DISCUSSION: These results indicate a humoral immune reactivity against heat shock protein 70, which might be responsible for the pathogenesis of progressive sensorineural hearing loss.