[Vestibular Dysfunction in Patients with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss without Vertigo].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the vestibular dysfunction in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) patients without vertigo. METHODS: Forty-two cases of unilateral SSHL without vertigo were enrolled in the study from May 2012 to May 2014. All patients underwent air conducted sound elicited oVEMP and cVEMP respectively. Some of them also received caloric test. Sixty-two SSHL patients with vertigo and twenty-five age-and gender-matched normal subjects were recruited as controls to analyze the vestibular dysfunction in SSHL patients without. vertigo. RESULTS: Abnormal oVEMP was observed in 54. 8% affected ears without vertigo (23/42), 64. 5% ears with vertigo (40/62), and 26. 0% normal ears (13/50). Abnormal cVEMP was observed in 52. 4% affected ears without vertigo (22/42), 48. 4% ears with vertigo (30/62), and 14. 0% normal ears (7/50). Caloric test was operated in 21 SSHL patients without vertigo and 29 patients with vertigo. Abnormal caloric test was observed in 52.4% (11/21) SSHL patients without vertigo and 75. 9% (22/29) SSHL patients with vertigo respectively. Statistical significance was found in oVEMP and cVEMP rates between SSHL without vertigo and normal group (P<0. 01). However, no significant statistical difference was found in oVEMP, cVEMP rates and caloric test between SSHL without vertigo and SSHL with vertigo group (P>0. 05). CONCLUSION: Vestibular function could be damaged in SSHL patients without vertigo. The abnormal rates of oVEMP, cVEMP and caloric test in SSHL patients without vertigo were similar to that of SSHL patients with vertigo. The appearance of vertigo might be irrelevant to the range and extent of vestibular dysfunction.

[A family-based association study of the EGR3 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia].

Previous studies showed that EGR3 gene located in chromosome 8p21.3 was involved in the etiology of schizophrenia. However, the finding failed to be replicated in several case-control studies. To investigate the genetic role of the EGR3 gene in Chinese psychiatric patients, we genotyped five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in EGR3 gene locus using 93 nuclear families in Han Chinese, and performed transmission disequilibrium test (TDT). In this study, two SNPs (rs1996147 and rs3750192) showed significant association with schizophrenia (c2>4.40, P<0.05). In the linkage disequilibrium analysis, the significant association was also found in two- (rs3750192-rs35201266), three- (rs1877670- rs3750192-rs7009708) and four-SNP (rs1996147-rs1877670-rs3750192-rs7009708) tests of haplotype analyses (c2>7.10, global P<0.05). Overall, the results suggested that EGR3 gene may play an important role in schizophrenia susceptibility in the Han Chinese population, and further functional exploration of the EGR3 gene will contribute to the underlying molecular mechanism for schizophrenia pathogenesis.

[A family-based association study of FXYD6 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FXYD6 gene and schizophrenia in a family-trios population. METHODS: Six SNPs (rs10790212, rs11544201, rs555577, rs1815774, rs4938446 and rs497768) in the FXYD6 gene were genotyped by allele-specific PCR method in 101 nuclear families, and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was performed. RESULTS: SNPs rs10790212 and rs11544201 showed significant association with schizophrenia (P<0.05). Furthermore, significant association of schizophrenia with the haplotype rs10790212-rs11544201 was found (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: FXYD6 gene might play an important role in schizophrenia susceptibility and functional analysis of FXYD6 are needed.