Evaluation of Saccule Function in Patients with Vitamin D Deficiency

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Considering important role of vitamin D in many physiological processes including vestibular system in the ear, aim of present study is to evaluate saccule function via cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (cVEMP), in patients with vitamin D deficiency. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: After routine audiological tests, cVEMP were recorded in 15 patients with vitamin D deficiency and 16 normal subjects. The short tone burst (95 dB nHL, 500 Hz) was presented to ears. cVEMP was recorded with surface electromyography over the contracted ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle. RESULTS: Mean of p13, n13, interpeak latencies and amplitude ratios were measured in both groups. Statistical analysis did not show differences between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Maybe serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was not low enough to have effect on saccule in the patients in present study or saccule have had low susceptibility to effects of vitamin D deficiency. For better judgment about effect of vitamin D deficiency on saccular function planning studies with high sample size is recommended.

Auditory Neuropathy/Dyssynchrony in Biotinidase Deficiency

Biotinidase deficiency is a disorder inherited autosomal recessively showing evidence of hearing loss and optic atrophy in addition to seizures, hypotonia, and ataxia. In the present study, a 2-year-old boy with Biotinidase deficiency is presented in which clinical symptoms have been reported with auditory neuropathy/auditory dyssynchrony (AN/AD). In this case, transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions showed bilaterally normal responses representing normal function of outer hair cells. In contrast, acoustic reflex test showed absent reflexes bilaterally, and visual reinforcement audiometry and auditory brainstem responses indicated severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. These results suggest AN/AD in patients with Biotinidase deficiency.

Freeze-dried cold kit for Preparation of [99M]Tc-ciprofloxacin as an infection imaging agent

Radiolabeled antibiotics are being used for the specific diagnosis of infection by exploiting their specific binding properties to the bacterial components, thereby making it possible to differentiate infection from sterile lesions. The aim of this work was to prepare and evaluate a freeze-dried kit of ciprofloxacin designed for the labeling with [99m]Tc. Factors like amount of reducing agent and optimum pH were investigated to make the ciprofloxacin kit. The kit was reconstituted with [99m]Tc at room temperature and the radiochemical purity was evaluated by ITLC method. Stability and protein binding in human serum followed by in vitro binding to bacteria were assessed. Biodistribution of labeled kit in staphylococcus aureus infected rats muscles were studied using ex vivo counting and scintigraphy. Labeling yield of >90% was obtained corresponding to a specific activity of 178 GBq/mmol. The stability of radiolabeled kit in human serum was 84.2% after 1 hour post incubation. In-vitro studies showed 75% of radioactivity was bound to bacteria. After injection into mice clearance from the circulation occurred mainly by biliary-renal clearance and site of infection was rapidly detected within 30 min. Target to non-target muscle ratio was 3.23 +/- 0.05% at 30 min post injection. [99m]Tc-ciprofloxacin showed favorable radiochemical and biological characteristics which permitted detection of the infection with optimal visualization