A Comprehensive Study of Oxidative Stress in Tinnitus Patients

Oxidative stress is considered to be one of the molecular changes that are the underlying causes of tinnitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis as a new oxidative stress parameter in tinnitus patients as well as to investigate the lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) parameters and compare the results with the results of the healthy control group. A prospective controlled trial was performed on tinnitus patients in Harran University hospital. A total of 70 subjects, including 35 tinnitus patients and 35 healthy individuals participated in this study. Their total thiol, native thiol levels and LOOH, TAS, TOS levels were measured in plasma of all tinnitus patients and healthy volunteers participants. TOS and OSI levels were significantly increased, and TAS levels were significantly lower in the patient groups compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Native thiol levels and Native thiol/total thiol ratios were significantly lower in the tinnitus group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Disulphide level and disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol ratios were significantly higher in the patients (p < 0.01). Also, LOOH ratios were significantly higher in the tinnitus group (p < 0.01). The results of this study reveal that in tinnitus cases, the oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme imbalance were more significant than in healthy control group. The nature of the relationship between oxidative stress and tinnitus should be clarified with larger studies.