Inner Ear Autoantibodies in Patients with Meniere's Disease of Sudden Deafness

Abstract

We examined the sera of patients with Meni-ere's disease or sudden deafness for inner ear autoantibodies using western blotting technique. The SDS soluble extract was prepared as the inner ear antigen from bovine inner ear tissues. Inner ear autoantibodies were found in 60% of the patients with Meniere's disease and in 59% of those with sudden deafness. Six patients had inner ear specific autoantibodies which reacted with 33-35kD determinants.Some patients wiht idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss, such as Meniere's disease and sudden deafness, may have autoimmune reactions directed against proteins derived from the inner ear. The presence of inner ear specific autoanti-bodies may enable the detection and treatment of autoimmune mediated inner ear disorders. It is now necessary to purify the inner ear specific antigens for the accurate diagnosis of autoimmune activity against the inner ear in patients with idiopathic inner ear disorders.