OTOACOUSTIC EMISSION AND AUDITORY BRAINSTEM RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS

The function of the outer hair cells (OHC) in patients with euthyroid autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) was investigated in frequency range of 1000 - 8000 Hz. Our aim was to measured of AIT factors influence on auditory function in patients with no subjective sensations of hearing loss. For this study we selected patients with euthyroid AIT. Patients average age on 33,25±6,32 years. The main group consisted of 59 people. The control group was presented by 29 relatively healthy individuals, without AIT and normal hearing function. Each patient was determined the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (T3), thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPAb), thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb). The function of OHC of the inner ear was assessed by the registration of distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and auditory brainstrem response (ABR) evaluation. We estimated dependency of DPOAE data on TPAb and TGAb levels in the patients' blood tests. We used program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 17 for statistical data. In the study of dependency between DPOAE and ABR`s data and TPAb, TGAb levels we indicated a statistically significant correlation between increased activity of autoimmune process and decrease OHC function in the frequency range of 5714 - 8000 Hz.