Updated information about hearing performance one year after cochlear implantation by proteomic profiling of human perilymph

Introduction The molecular pathophysiology of the inner ear in case of sensorineural hearing loss is not elucidated in detail at all. Also it is unknown if the composition of perilymph (PL) especially the proteome could give information about patients individual hearing performance (HP) after cochlear implantation (CI). We hypothesize that proteome analysis of PL sampled during CI offers an opportunity to predict level of HP of CI patients.

Methods Established PL liquid biopsy was performed during CI of patients with different etiology. PL proteins were identified by a shot-gun proteomics approach and data-dependent analysis using orbitrap mass spectrometry (Thermo Fisher Scientific), Max Quant software for protein identification and Perseus software for data analysis. The postoperative HP of the CI patients was calculated by audiologic tests one year after CI.

Results By proteome analysis of 75 PL samples from 68 patients 935 proteins were detected. Most of the adult patients participated in two audiologic tests (HSM sentence test in noise 10 dB, n = 45; Freiburg monosyllable word test, n = 47) one year postoperatively. The patients could be classified into 2 groups depicting good or bad HP one year after CI. In the group good HP 5 proteins were significantly upregulated (e.g. Attractin, 2 proteins related to immune response). In the group bad HP 6 proteins were significantly upregulated (e.g. Myeloperoxidase, 2 immunoglobulin heavy chains) showing a different immune response in the two considered groups.

Conclusions The statistical analysis of proteomics data shows significantly upregulated proteins in the groups good and bad HP. Therefore may the PL proteome analysis enables new predictive information about the individual HP of patients undergoing a CI.

Poster-PDF A-1701.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020