[Hearing loss associated to ulcerative colitis]. / Hipoacusia asociada a colitis ulcerosa.

OBJECTIVE: To value the eventual immunomediation in sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) on patients bearing of ulcerative colitis (UC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a group of forty-nine cases with a mean age of 41.6+/-9.3 years old we studied the hearing loss level, the disease activity index, the peripheral blood inflammation markers and the anticochlear antibodies by mean of Western-blot technique (WB). RESULTS: The 26.5% knew about their deafness, although SHL was detected in 59.1% of cases. The mean age of onset was 40.3+/-9.8 years. 48.9% showed a positive WB, always in 68-70 kDa molecular weight blots. Moreover, patients with positive WB showed more severe deafness, higher disease activity and more altered parameters, especially erythrosedimentation rate. CONCLUSIONS: Audiologic and peripheral blood findings observed allow us to establish a reasonable suspicion of an autoimmune or immunomediated pathway of hearing loss on UC.

[Blood viscosity modifications in patients with presbycusis]. / Alteraciones en la viscosidad sanguínea en pacientes con presbiacusia.

OBJECTIVE: [corrected] To evaluate the existence of blood viscosity alterations in presbyacusis as an eventual pathophysiological mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Nine 75 year-old subjects bearing of bilateral slowly progressive sensorineural deafness were considered to be studied on a yearly basis in a ten year folow-up period, evaluating the binaural hearing loss in speech tones (500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hz). Hemorheological profile on peripheral blood included total blood viscosity (BV) at different shear rates (SR), blood filterability (BF), erythrocyte deformability and aggregability (EA). RESULTS: There was a trend of all parameters towards hyperviscosity, with an increase at ten years of BV at high SR and EA at total stasis which were statistically significant. The level of deafness correlated significativelly to low values of BF and increases on BV at high SR. CONCLUSIONS: Presbyacustic patients do show hemorheological evidences that suggest a tendency towards hyperviscosity as a predisposing factor for hearing loss.