HYPOTHESIS: Persistent measles virus infection of the otic capsule is suggested to be an etiologic factor in otosclerosis. Otosclerosis is a disease of complex unknown etiology causing progressive conductive and/or sensorineural hearing loss (HL). BACKGROUND: Diagnostic methods of otosclerosis are sensitive to ossicular chain fixation with low specificity for otosclerotic stapes ankylosis. METHODS: Nucleic acid was extracted from stapes foot plates of clinically stapes fixation patients (N = 213). Measles virus nucleoprotein RNA was amplified by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Amplification results were correlated to histologic findings in 49 cases. Antimeasles IgG levels of all clinically stapes fixation as well as control sera specimens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Among clinically stapes fixation patients, 141 stapes foot plates contained measles virus RNA. Among 49 histologic specimens, viral RNA was detectable only in histologically otosclerotic stapes foot plates (n = 35). Histology for virus-negative foot plates (n = 14) excluded otosclerosis. Antimeasles IgG levels were significantly lower in the sera of patients with virus-positive stapes than in control sera. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of decreased antimeasles IgG serum level and conductive HL has a great specificity and sensitivity as a diagnostic method in the preoperative evaluation of ossicular chain fixations otosclerosis. Low antimeasles IgG level indicates otosclerosis, whereas high level suggests non-otosclerotic ossicular chain fixations. Preoperative elucidation of the cause of a conductive HL may suggest optional medical treatment in preference to surgical methods.
HYPOTHESIS: Persistent measles virus infection of the otic capsule is suggested to be an etiologic factor in otosclerosis. Otosclerosis is a disease of complex unknown etiology causing progressive conductive and/or sensorineural hearing loss (HL). BACKGROUND: Diagnostic methods of otosclerosis are sensitive to ossicular chain fixation with low specificity for otosclerotic stapes ankylosis. METHODS: Nucleic acid was extracted from stapes foot plates of clinically stapes fixation patients (N = 213). Measles virus nucleoprotein RNA was amplified by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Amplification results were correlated to histologic findings in 49 cases. Antimeasles IgG levels of all clinically stapes fixation as well as control sera specimens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Among clinically stapes fixation patients, 141 stapes foot plates contained measles virus RNA. Among 49 histologic specimens, viral RNA was detectable only in histologically otosclerotic stapes foot plates (n = 35). Histology for virus-negative foot plates (n = 14) excluded otosclerosis. Antimeasles IgG levels were significantly lower in the sera of patients with virus-positive stapes than in control sera. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of decreased antimeasles IgG serum level and conductive HL has a great specificity and sensitivity as a diagnostic method in the preoperative evaluation of ossicular chain fixations otosclerosis. Low antimeasles IgG level indicates otosclerosis, whereas high level suggests non-otosclerotic ossicular chain fixations. Preoperative elucidation of the cause of a conductive HL may suggest optional medical treatment in preference to surgical methods.
Authors: Wolfgang Arnold; Raymonde Busch; Andreas Arnold; Björn Ritscher; Albrecht Neiss; Hans Peter Niedermeyer Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2007-02-13 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Balázs Liktor; Zoltán Szekanecz; Tamás József Batta; István Sziklai; Tamás Karosi Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2012-07-29 Impact factor: 2.503
Authors: Tamás Karosi; István Jókay; József Kónya; Mihály Petkó; László Z Szabó; István Sziklai Journal: Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2007-02-09 Impact factor: 3.236