DIAGNOSTIC REAGENTS AND METHODS SPECIFIC TO INNER EAR DISORDERS

摘要

Described herein are compositions and methods for the detection of inner ear disorders such as balance disorders and hearing disorders resulting from acoustic injury, exposure to ototoxins, head trauma or viral illness. Specifically, otolin-1 and prestin have been verified as inner-ear specific biomarkers suitable for the detection of inner ear disorders.

主权项

1. A method of detecting an inner ear disorder in a subject comprising,
providing a serum or plasma sample from the subject; determining a level of otolin-1, prestin, otoconin-90, oncomodulin, or a combination comprising two or more of the foregoing, in the serum or plasma sample from the subject; and determining that the subject is likely to have an inner ear disorder when the level of otolin-1 in the serum or plasma sample is increased compared to a reference otolin-1 level, when the level of otolin-1 in the serum or plasma sample is comparable to a level of otolin-1 of a reference population known to have an inner ear disorder, when the level of prestin in the serum or plasma sample is decreased or increased compared to a reference prestin level, when the level of prestin in the serum or plasma sample is comparable to a level of prestin of a reference population known to have an inner ear disorder, when the level of otoconin-90 in the serum or plasma sample is decreased or increased compared to a reference otoconin-90 level, when the level of otoconin-90 in the serum or plasma sample is comparable to a level of otoconin-90 of a reference population known to have an inner ear disorder, when the level of oncomodulin in the serum or plasma sample is decreased or increased compared to a reference oncomodulin level, when the level of oncomodulin in the serum or plasma sample is comparable to a level of oncomodulin of a reference population known to have an inner ear disorder, or a combination thereof.