[Laboratory diagnosis of autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss with modified western blotting method]

Anti-membranous labyrinth proteins antibody were tested in suspectable autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) with a modified western blotting method. 5 strongly positive bands (including 68,000) existed in at most 18 of 25 cases (72%). This method was found to be more sensitive than the routine one (40%). Anti-membranous proteins of Klebsiella pneumoniae antibodies were also found in 7 of 9 tested patients.