Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Methods for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This prospective study compared the therapeutic efficacy of Ginaton alone, Ginaton combined with glucocorticoids, or Ginaton with mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF) in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Between January 2014 and June 2015, 101 SSNHL patients, with treatment initiated 3-10 days post onset, were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 2-week regimens: Ginaton alone (n = 33), Ginaton + glucocorticoid (n = 34), or Ginaton + mNGF (n = 34). Primary outcome was overall hearing improvement. Effectiveness rates were 78.79% (95% confidence interval [CI] 61.8%-89.9%) for Ginaton, 79.41% (95% CI 62.9%-90.1%) for Ginaton + glucocorticoid, and 88.24% (95% CI 72.5%-95.8%) for Ginaton + mNGF; these differences were not statistically significant (P > .05). All 3 groups showed significant post-treatment reductions in whole blood viscosity (high, medium, low shear rates; all P < .01), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P < .01), and triglycerides (all P < .01). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, an inflammatory marker, significantly decreased in the Ginaton + glucocorticoid (P < .05) and Ginaton + mNGF groups (P < .01). While all regimens demonstrated positive effects on hearing and surrogate markers, and Ginaton + mNGF showed a numerically higher hearing improvement rate, no statistically superior regimen for overall hearing was identified. This study suggests these approaches improve inner ear blood rheology and inflammation. However, larger, placebo-controlled trials are crucial to confirm efficacy and elucidate the distinct pharmacological contributions of each component, considering the study's sample size and open-label design.