OBJECTIVERetrospectively analyzed the influences of preoperative acoustic immittance pressure balance tests and intraoperative wet ear findings in myringoplasty surgery results.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-one chronic suppurative otitis media patients underwent myringoplasty surgeries were included and divided into functional group and non-functional group according to preoperative acoustic immittance pressure balance tests. Meanwhile, cases were divided into dry ear group and wet ear group according to intraoperative findings. Postoperative hearing improvement and perforation rate were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSFunctional group had 72 cases, including 58 dry ears and 14 wet ears. Non-functional group had 46 cases, including 19 dry ears and 27 wet ears. Postoperative hearing improvement rate in functional group was 85.5% (59/69), and 72.1% (31/43) in non-functional group (χ(2) = 2.230, P = 0.093). Perforation rate in functional group was 16.7% (12/72), significant higher when compared with 2.2% (1/46) in non-functional group (χ(2) = 4.626, P = 0.015). Postoperative hearing improvement rate in dry ear group was 85.3% (64/75), and 71.8% (28/39) in wet ear group (χ(2) = 2.213, P = 0.085) . Perforation rate in dry ear group was 12.8% (10/78), and 7.0% (3/43) in wet ear group (χ(2) = 0.472, P = 0.377).

CONCLUSIONSNon-functional result of preoperative acoustic immittance pressure balance test had significant relationship with the intraoperative wet ear findings. It may result in lower postoperative hearing level, and lower perforation rate. Large sample studies should be carried out in future.

Chronic Disease ; Ear ; Hearing ; Humans ; Myringoplasty ; methods ; Otitis Media, Suppurative ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Tympanic Membrane Perforation ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) on transformation of dendritic cell (DC) and T cell in vitro.

METHODSMouse-derived immature dendritic cells and T lymphocytes were co-cultured in vitro, which were divided into 4 groups (TSLP stimulation group, TSLP stimulation and its receptor blocking group, ovalbumin stimulation group and ovalbumin stimulation and TSLP receptor blocking group). IL-4, IL-8 and IFN-β in cell culture supernatant were detected after 2 days by ELISA. SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSIL-4 levels of TSLP receptor blocking groups [(48.84 ± 1.56) pg/ml, (52.53 ± 2.36) pg/ml]were significantly lower than those of corresponding TSLP stimulation group and ovalbumin stimulation group [(72.55 ± 7.76) pg/ml, (80.47 ± 21.93) pg/ml;t = 5.994, P < 0.05;t = 2.534, P < 0.05]. However, there were not significant differences of IL-8 and IFN-β expression between corresponding two groups of whether or not TSLP receptor blocking (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTSLP receptor blockade in vitro can inhibit T lymphocyte transformation to Th2, which may provide a new therapeutic strategy for clinical Th2 dominant diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma.

Animals ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Cytokines ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Th2 Cells ; cytology

OBJECTIVESThe function of the semicircular canal receptors and the pathway of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) can be diagnosed with the clinical head impulse test. The aim of the study was to investigate the horizontal VOR by means of video head impulse test in peripheral vestibular disorders.

METHODSUsing the vHIT, we examined horizontal semicircular canal VOR in a group of 55 patients and a control group of 20 healthy subjects. The group of patients included 10 cases of vestibular neuritis (VN), 6 cases of vestibular schwannoma (VS), 12 cases of Meniere's disease (MD), and 15 cases of bilateral vestibulopathy (BV), as well as 13 cases of idiopathic sudden hearing loss with vertigo (ISHL).

RESULTSInstantaneous gains of 40 ms, 60 ms and 80 ms of horizontal VOR were 0.88 ± 0.17, 0.94 ± 0.13 and 0.96 ± 0.13, respectively. Regression gain at 60 ms was 0.99 ± 0.11, and asymmetry was 5.6 ± 3.5. Normal range of 60 ms instantaneous gain was > 0.73, normal range of regression gain was > 0.80. Abnormal vHIT was found in VS (100%), VN (90.9%), BV (86.7%), MD (40.0%) and ISHL (38.5%). Three conditions of refixation saccades occurred in cases with abnormal VOR: isolated covert saccades (12.5%), isolated overt saccades (45.0%) and the combination of overt and covert saccades (42.5%).

CONCLUSIONSThe vHIT detects abnormal VOR changes in the combination of gain assessment and refixation saccades. Since isolated covert saccades in VOR changes can only be seen with vHIT, peripheral vestibular disorders are likely to be misdiagnosed with the HIT.

Case-Control Studies ; Head Impulse Test ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Meniere Disease ; diagnosis ; Neuroma, Acoustic ; diagnosis ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Saccades ; Semicircular Canals ; physiopathology ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Diseases ; diagnosis