Abstract
BackgroundAge-related hearing impairment (ARHI) is a major disability among the elderly population. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be associated with ARHI in animal studies. The aim of this study was to analyze the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP genes with ARHI in an elderly population in Taiwan.MethodsParticipants ≥65 years of age were recruited for audiometric tests and genetic analyses. The pure tone average (PTA) of the better hearing ear was calculated for ARHI evaluation. The associations of HSPA1L (rs2075800 and rs2227956), HSPA1A (rs1043618) and HSPA1B (rs2763979) with ARHI were analyzed in 146 ARHI-susceptible (cases) and 146 ARHI-resistant (controls) participants.ResultsThe “T” allele of HSPA1B rs2763979 showed a decreased risk of ARHI. The “TT” genotype of rs2763979 also showed a decreased risk of ARHI in the dominant hereditary model. For HSPA1L (rs2075800 and rs2227956) and HSPA1A (rs1043618), the haplotype “CAG” was related to a decreased risk of ARHI.ConclusionThese findings suggest that HSP70 polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to ARHI in the elderly population.Graphical abstract
Highlights
Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI), or presbycusis, is a common disability in the elderly population worldwide
Studies have reported that the genetic polymorphisms of HSP70 are associated with susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) [8,9,10,11,12,13,14], and we proposed that the genetic polymorphisms of HSP70 might relate to susceptibility to ARHI development
Participants in the worst quartile of hearing level were classified into the age-related hearing impairment group (ARHI-susceptible group), while those in the best quartile of hearing level were classified into the ARHI-resistant group
Summary
Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI), or presbycusis, is a common disability in the elderly population worldwide. In Taiwan, the prevalence of hearing impairment is reportedly as high as 78% among the population 65 years of age or older [3]. The detailed mechanisms of ARHI development remain unclear. Age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) is a major disability among the elderly population. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be associated with ARHI in animal studies. The aim of this study was to analyze the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP genes with ARHI in an elderly population in Taiwan. For HSPA1L (rs2075800 and rs2227956) and HSPA1A (rs1043618), the haplotype “CAG” was related to a decreased risk of ARHI
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