Analysis of the T Lymphocyte Subsets Using Flow Cytometry in Sudden Deafness

Cheong, Cheon Kyoo; Park, Seong Kook; Cho, Hong Wook; Eom, Jae Wook

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although there are a number of reports concerned with the role of immunity in the sudden onset of progressive sensorineural hearing loss, there are only a few references dealing with the involvement of immuneme- mediated mechanism in sudden deafness. This study was performed to define the alteration of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets in a group of patients with sudden deafness.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was carried out prior to the start of and after the steroid therapy. Thirty two patients (18 men and 14 women : mean age, 43.19 years) were compared with 15 healthy control subjects (7 men and 8 women : mean age, 44 years). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their responses to the steroid therapy.
RESULTS
A decreased number of both CD4' helper cells (38.44% vs 42.36%; p < 0.05) was observed in the patient group compared with those in the control group. In the group of patients who showed good response to the steroid therapy, there was a tendency toward normalization of the CD4 (pretreatment, 34.41%; posttreatment, 43.91%) cell counts, with a slight decrease in the CD8' population (pretreatment, 20.66%: posttreatment, 19.16%). However, there was no significant increment in patients with the poorer response when there was a increase in the CD4' (pretreatment, 32.12% ; posttreatment, 38.6%) cell counts after the steroid therapy.
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate that there is significant abnormality in the subpopulations of lymphocytes in patients with sudden hearing loss, suggesting the immune system as a possible etiopathogenic factor in this entity.