Status auditivo em indivíduos com deficiência isolada do hormônio do crescimento

Abstract

Introduction: IGF-1, the main circulating effector of growth hormone (GH) action, is essential for the differentiation, survival, and maturation of cells and neurons in the inner ear. Isolated congenital GH deficiency (IGHD) represents an ideal model to study the impact of GH/IGF-1 on the auditory axis. Here, we present the hearing status of adult individuals with IGHD, all belonging to a Brazilian population with a homozygous mutation in the growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR) gene. Study design: Cross-sectional Objective: To evaluate the hearing status of individuals with IGHD. Materials and methods: Twenty-six adult individuals with IGHD (age 47.6 ± 15.1 years, 13 women) and 25 controls (age 46.3 ± 14.3 years, 15 women) were administered a questionnaire about hearing complaints and hearing health history. Tests such as purine audiometry, speech audiometry, electroacoustic immittance testing and stapedial reflex, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), and brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP or BERA) were performed to better analyze the auditory system. Results: Misophonia and dizziness were the most frequent complaints in the IGHD group (p = 0.011). In pure tone audiometry, individuals with IGHD had higher thresholds at 250Hz (p = 0.005), 500Hz (p = 0.006), 3 (p = 0.008), 4 (p = 0.038), 6 (p = 0.008), and 8 kHz (p = 0.048), and hearing loss at higher frequencies (p = 0.029). Stapedial reflex (p < 0.001) and TEOAE (p < 0.001) were more frequent in controls. There were no differences in DPOAE and ABR thresholds. Hearing loss occurred earlier in IGHD than in controls. Conclusion: Individuals with IGHD have more misophonia and dizziness, sensorineural hearing loss with a predominance at higher frequencies, and absence of stapedial reflex and TEOAE.