OBJECTIVETo investigate and compare the short-term outcome of patients with low-middle frequency sudden deafness treated with alone or combination treatment.

METHODSFrom August 2007 to October 2011, 205 patients with the diagnosis of low-middle frequency sudden deafness who were from 33 different clinical centers were recruited. All patients were followed up for four weeks from the initial examination. Patients were treated with steroid , Ginaton, batroxobin respectively, or Ginaton and steroid combination treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 90.73%. In Ginaton group, the total effective rate was 87.27%, 89.19% in steroid group, 87.80% in batroxobin group, and 95.83% in Ginaton and steroid group. Considering the total effective rate, there was no statistical difference between four groups (χ(2) = 7.98, P = 0.54). The clinical cure rate for steroid alone was 81.01%, Ginaton alone 76.36%, batroxobin alone 68.29%, and Ginaton and steroid combination treatment 80.56%. There were no clinically significant differences between the different treatments (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe low-middle frequency sudden deafness tends to have a relatively favorable prognosis. The steroid played a good effect in the treatment. But different treatments either improving the microcirculation of inner ear or alleviating edema blood has undifferentiated results. Therefore the combination therapy may be more effective.

Batroxobin ; China ; epidemiology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; classification ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo investigate the radiosensitizing effect and its mechanism of 3-MA in human hypopharynx cancer cells.

METHODS5 mmol/L of 3-MA combined with 2 Gy or 4 Gy of X-ray was utilized to deal with Fadu cells, and the cell livability (cloning efficiency) and DNA lesion severity (tail moment) of each groups was examined by clonogenic survival assay and comet assay, then differences were compared between groups by independent-sample T test. Fadu cells were then treated with different dose of 3-MA (1, 2, 5, 10 mmol/L), the alteration of cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometer, and differences among groups were analyzed through one-way analysis of variance. The expression of p62 and cyclinB1 in each group was examined by western blot.

RESULTSThe livability and DNA lesion severity of cells treated with 3-MA alone showed no notable variation. Compared with non-3-MA groups, the cloning efficiency of cells treated with 3-MA decreased much more after irradiated with 2 Gy or 4 Gy of X-ray (t = 13.41 or 13.98, P < 0.001), and the cells showed a more serious DNA lesion (t = 7.07 or 6.91, P < 0.001). The G2/M percentages of cells in the control group and groups treated with 1, 2, 5, 10 mmol/L of 3-MA were 17.10 ± 1.20, 23.30 ± 2.3, 39.90 ± 3.12, 58.47 ± 1.65, 76.13 ± 3.51 and differences among groups were statistically significant (F = 278.4, P < 0.05). The expression of p62 in cells treated with 3-MA showed a dose-dependent increase, while cyclinB1 showed a dose-dependent decrease.

CONCLUSIONSThe autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could enhance radiosensitivity of human hypopharynx cancer cells by inducing G2/M arrest and enhancing irradiation-induced DNA damage.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; metabolism ; Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin B1 ; metabolism ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Humans ; Radiation Tolerance ; drug effects ; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents ; pharmacology ; Sequestosome-1 Protein

Adult ; Cholesterol ; Dilatation ; Ear Canal ; Ear Neoplasms ; surgery ; Ear, Middle ; pathology ; Eustachian Tube ; Female ; Granuloma ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Mastoidectomy ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome