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Updated: May 27, 2026
Simultaneous Distinction of Monospecific and Mixed DFS70 Patterns During ANA Screening with a Novel HEp-2 ELITE/DFS70 Knockout Substrate
Published on: January 17, 2018
HSP70 antibodies in 80 patients with "clinically certain" Meniere's disease
Jeremy Hornibrook1, Peter George, Myfanwy Spellerberg
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology, Christchurch Hospital, and the Department of Communication Disorders, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Objectives:
We tested the claim that a significant proportion of patients with Meniere's disease have antibodies to heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) antigen, which may lead to defective endolymphatic sac function and vertigo attacks.
Methods:
Serum samples were taken from 80 subjects with a "certain" diagnosis of Meniere's disease (American Academy criteria plus electrocochleographic confirmation of endolymphatic hydrops with tone burst stimuli) and were tested for HSP70 antibodies with the OTOblot (hsp70) Western blot assay. The response was recorded as negative, positive, or equivocal. Samples from 80 sex- and age-matched blood donors were used as controls.
Results:
Of 80 patients with "clinically certain" Meniere's disease, 14 were positive for HSP70 antibodies or equivocal; of 80 controls, 10 were positive or equivocal. There was no significant difference (p=0.239). There was no correlation with bilateral disease, "activity" of Meniere's disease, or stage of Meniere's disease.
Conclusions:
Patients with an unequivocal diagnosis of Meniere's disease do not have a significantly raised incidence of HSP70 antibodies.
