MicroRNA expression is associated with auditory dysfunction in workers exposed to ototoxic solvents and noise

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Toxicology
• Genetics

Background:

• Combined occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and noise is a potential cause of early hearing dysfunction.
• Previous research identified 56 differentially expressed microRNAs in workers exposed to VOCs and noise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To statistically analyze the association between specific microRNA expression and hearing impairment metrics.
• To investigate the role of hOGG1 gene variants in susceptibility to noise and VOC-induced hearing damage.
• To explore hidden connections between variables using unsupervised artificial neural networks.

Main Methods:

• Statistical correlation analysis between microRNA expression levels and audiometric hearing level (HL) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels.
• Analysis of hOGG1 gene variants (homozygous mutant, heterozygous, wild-type) in relation to hearing impairment risk.
• Application of an unsupervised artificial neural network (auto contractive map) for graph analysis of variable interconnections.

Main Results:

• Significant negative correlations were observed between HL and miR-195-5p/miR-122-5p, and between DPOAEs and miR-92b-5p/miR-206.
• Homozygous and heterozygous variants of the hOGG1 gene were associated with increased risk of hearing impairment from VOC exposure compared to wild-type.
• The auto contractive map revealed complex interrelationships between microRNA expression, gene variants, and hearing parameters.

Conclusions:

• Specific microRNAs (miR-195-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-92b-5p, miR-206) are statistically associated with objective measures of hearing function.
• The hOGG1 gene plays a role in modulating the risk of hearing damage from occupational solvent exposure.
• These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of hearing loss induced by combined noise and ototoxic solvent exposure.