Relationship between interleukin-6 levels and the degree of hearing loss in chronic suppurative otitis media: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The morbidity of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is advanced in patients with cholesteatoma. Cholesteatoma is a suitable medium for bacterial growth and could trigger an infection and inflammation process characterized by increased levels of interleukin (IL)-6. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between IL-6 levels and the degree of hearing loss and deafness in CSOM patients with or without cholesteatoma.METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design on 42 eligible CSOM patients with cholesteatoma (group A, N.=21) and without cholesteatoma (group B, N.=21). In each group, the tympanic room samples were taken during surgery to examine IL-6 levels using the ELISA method. In addition, the degree of hearing loss and deafness was assessed through a pure tone audiometry (PTA) examination. The Spearman correlation test and simple linear regression analyzed the data.RESULTS: Both groups had the same baseline characteristics regarding gender, age, and degree of deafness. IL-6 levels did not differ between groups A and B (118.76 [64.42-196.70] ng/mL vs. 121.22 [3.48-304.95] ng/mL, P=0.990). There was no significant correlation between the degree of deafness and IL-6 levels in groups A and B (r=0.229; P=0.317 and r=-0.384; P=0.086). Although the audiogram value in group A was higher than group B, the two were not significantly different (P=0.420). Furthermore, IL-6 levels could not be a significant determinant of the audiogram value in the simple linear regression model (B=-0.002, P=0.252).CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 levels cannot be a determined factor of hearing loss in patients with CSOM with or without cholesteatoma.