Deafness due to Immune System Attack can be treated with Steroids

Patients who are fighting from deafness due to an immune system attack can get benefits from the steroid treatment as per a new study of the University of Michigan's Kresge Hearing Research Institute.

Deafness caused by an immune system attack that is also known as autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss or AISNHL, can be treated effectively by steroid treatment after knowing the causes of mysterious hearing loss and the next course of action for treatment of deafness.

This study strongly pointed out that accurate prediction can be given with respect to who all will be able to regain their hearing capabilities with steroid treatment after a direct test for antibodies has been conducted, as per Thomas Carey, Ph.D., senior author, professor and a distinguished research scientist at the U-M Medical School and department chair in the School of Dentistry.

From News-Medical.Net:

Researchers at U-M have been studying IESCA for several years in animals and have found that it may be a main target of the immune system's deafening attack on the inner ear.

IESCA is found in the supporting cells that help make up the organ of Corti, a tiny but crucial structure inside the cochlea, or inner ear.

It is here, inside the organ of Corti, that the ultra-sensitive hair cells are found.
Their movement in response to vibrations creates the nerve signals that are fed to the brain and interpreted as sounds and speech.

It has been seen that damage to the organ of Corti and hair cells, whether due to immune system attack, loud noise, trauma or medications, can diminish or destroy hearing.

By developing a monoclonal antibody, called KHRI-3, that attaches to IESCA in the inner ear, and can be detected in living animal systems and cell cultures, it has allowed the researchers to study IESCA's role in hearing loss in animal models, and show that damage to the inner ear caused by antibodies to IESCA can destroy hearing.

The KHRI-3 antibody creates a staining pattern that resembles a line of tiny wine glasses when it binds to IESCA in the organs of Corti of guinea pigs.

The U-M has patent applications pending in the U.S. and overseas, but Carey says the development of a clinical test for patient antibody to IESCA will take time.

Carey told that almost all of his patients who were put to trial for this study reported nearly improved hearing senses after being cured with steroid treatment after suffering immediate hearing loss post an attack of immune system.

The study was funded by the Ruth and Lynn Townsend Fund, a gift from the Holden Foundation, the Autoimmune Sensorineural Hearing Loss Research Fund, the National Institutes of Health, and the Deafness Research Foundation.