Altered chromogranin A circulating levels in Meniere's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Meniere's disease (MD) is an inner ear disorder characterized by episodic vertigo, ear fullness, and hearing loss; usually vertigo attacks cluster in specific period. We studied in MD patients the circulating levels of chromogranin A (CgA) and vasostatin-1 (VS-1), secreted by the neuroendocrine system and involved in the regulation of the endothelial barrier function.

METHODS: Serum levels were assessed in 37 MD patients and 36 controls. The ratio between VS-1 and CgA was calculated.

RESULTS: CgA was increased in patients compared to controls (1.46 versus 0.67 nM, p = 0.01) while no difference was detected for VS-1 (0.41 versus 0.39, resp.). CgA levels in patients positively correlated with the frequency of vertigo spells in the previous four weeks (p = 0.008) and negatively with the time in days from the last vertigo attack (p = 0.018). Furthermore, the VS-1/CgA ratio negatively correlated with the frequency of vertigo spells (p = 0.029) and positively correlated with the time from the last attack (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that variations of CgA levels, but not of VS-1, occur in the blood of patients with active MD, depending on the frequency of vertigo spells and the time from the last crisis.