Prognostic impact of gene polymorphisms in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether genetic polymorphisms (single-nucleotide polymorphism [SNPs]) have a prognostic influence on hearing recovery after standardized corticosteroid therapy.

Methods: A total of 192 gene samples from idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) patients registered in the Intractable Inner Ear Disease Gene Bank were enrolled and, as the candidate genes, 16 SNPs from 13 genes were selected for this study. Fischer’s exact test was used to compare allele frequencies in each SNP between the patients with good hearing recovery and patients with poor hearing recovery.

Results: The SNPs of the GSR gene (rs2251780 and rs3779647) and NOS3 gene (rs1799983) were associated with treatment outcome (p < .05). Furthermore, there was a marginal correlation between the SNP of the NR3C1 gene (rs4912910) and treatment outcome (p = .05).

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the analysis of genetic factors might make it possible to predict the treatment outcome, at least in part, in patients with idiopathic SSNHL.

Chinese abstract

目的: 探讨基因多态性 (单核苷酸多态性[SNPs]) 是否对标准化皮质类固醇治疗后的听力恢复有预后性影响。

方法: 难治性内耳疾病基因库登记的特发性突发感觉神经性听力损失 (SSNHL) 患者的192个基因样本被纳入研究, 并从13个基因中选择的16个SNP作为候选基因。 将Fischer精确检验用于比较听力恢复良好的患者和听力恢复差的患者之间的每个SNP中的等位基因频率。

结果: GSR基因 (rs2251780和rs3779647) 和NOS3基因 (rs1799983) 的SNPs与治疗结果具有相关性 (p <0.05) 。此外, 在NR3C1基因 (rs4912910) 的SNP和治疗结果 (p = 0.05) 之间存在边际相关性。

结论: 这项研究的结果表明, 遗传因素的分析, 至少是部分的, 对于特发性SSNHL患者, 会使预测治疗结果成为可能。

Keywords:

• Sudden sensorineural hearing loss
• genetic polymorphisms
• SNPs
• treatment outcome
• GSR
• NOS3
• NR3C1

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant for Acute Profound Deafness Research Committee of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/) (K. O.), Comprehensive Research on Disability Health and Welfare from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/) (S. U.), and by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (http://www.mext.go.jp/english/) (S. U.).

We thank the participants of the Intractable Inner Ear Disease Gene Bank Japan: Dr. Kaoru Ogawa (Keio University School of Medicine), Dr. Makito Okamoto (Kitasato University School of Medicine), Dr. Ken Kitamura (Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital), Dr. Kiyofumi Gyo (Ehime University School of Medicine), Dr. Hiroaki Sato (Iwate Medical University), Dr. Tsutomu Nakashima (Nagoya University, Graduate School of Medicine), Dr. Satoshi Fukuda (Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine), Dr. Kunihiro Fukushima (Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine), Dr. Akira Hara (University of Tsukuba), and Dr. Tatsuya Yamasoba (University of Tokyo), for providing samples from their patients.

Disclosure statement

The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper. The Shinshu University Conflict of Interest Committee also approved the study.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant for Comprehensive Research on Disability Health and Welfare from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (S.U.). and Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (S.U.).