Evaluation of Subclinical sensor neural hearing loss prevalent in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients with RA referred to Golestan Hospital of Ahvaz in 2019

Background: Autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) and the relationship between hearing loss (hearing impairment) and autoimmune diseases were first reported by Brian McCabe in 1979. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder that has affected around 1% of the people in the world. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in patients with RA using high-frequency audiometry (HFA). Materials and Methods: This research was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted on patients with RA referred to Golestan Hospital of Ahvaz in 2019. The patient group was included patients with a positive RA test referred to the rheumatology clinic of Golestan hospital of Ahvaz. IBM SPSS Statistics 25 was used for statistical analyses. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation (SD), frequency and frequency percentage. Results: Of a total of 60 patients examined, 28 (46.7%) were male and 32 (53.3%) were female.The auditory threshold in the patient group was significantly higher at frequencies of 500, 1000, 10,000, 14,000 and 16,000 Hz. The relationship between hearing loss (at frequencies from 250 to 8,000 Hz) and Rheumatoid factor (RF) autoantibody was also examined in the patient group. Of patients with hearing loss, 92.3% had this antibody whilst the remaining 7.7% of patients had no antibody. Conclusion:  According to the foregoing observations and discussions, hearing loss should be regarded as an influential disorder in R.A And patients with hearing loss (especially those with positive anti-CCP and RF antibody tests) need to undergo the necessary audiometry examinations (especially high-frequency audiometry, if possible) before the incidence of severe and clinical hearing loss, to identify them at the subclinical stage and guide them to take the necessary measures.