Open AccessCorrelation between auditory‐vestibular functions and estrogen levels in postmenopausal patients with Meniere's disease
Author(s) -
Jian Huirong,
Yu Gang,
Chen Gang,
Lin Naifen,
Wang Haibo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.22626
Subject(s) - meniere's disease , medicine , pure tone audiometry , auditory brainstem response , vertigo , vestibular evoked myogenic potential , estrogen , audiology , vestibular system , correlation , menopause , hearing loss , audiometry , surgery , geometry , mathematics
Background To investigate auditory and vestibular functions, estrogen levels, and its clinical correlation in postmenopausal females with Meniere's disease ( MD ). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the serum estradiol (E2) levels and the auditory and vestibular functions measured by auditory brainstem response ( ABR ) to high click rate, pure‐tone audiometry ( PTA ), and caloric test on postmenopausal women who suffered from MD or not at the Specialist Clinic of Vertigo, Shandong Provincial Hospital, during September 2010 to October 2014. Results A total of 76 postmenopausal patients with MD and 50 healthy postmenopausal controls were included. The patients with MD had lower estrogen levels (22.50 ± 16.66 pg/ mL vs 30.69 ± 18.59 pg/ mL , P = 0.011), longer I‐V interpeak latency of ABR (left 0.22 ± 0.16 mseconds vs 0.18 ± 0.10 mseconds, P = 0.118; right 0.24 ± 0.13 mseconds vs 0.17 ± 0.09 mseconds, P = 0.001), and higher unilateral weakness ( UW ) value ( P < 0.001) in comparison with the controls. The mean pure‐tone thresholds of at the speech frequency (500 Hz, 1 kH z, 2 kH z, and 3 kH z) were significantly elevated in patients with MD than those in the controls (left P < 0.001, right P < 0.01). The estradiol level of patients with MD was correlated with ABR latency (left r = −0.229, P < 0.05; right r = −0.220, P < 0.05) and UW value ( r = −0.328, P < 0.05), but not with mean pure‐tone threshold. Conclusions Estrogen levels correlated with auditory and vestibular function in postmenopausal patients with MD . Low estrogen may be involved in the microcirculatory disturbance of the inner ear, affecting the occurrence and development of MD .