Immune‐Related Disorders Associated With Ménière's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveTo analyze evidence supporting an association between immune‐related diseases and Ménière's disease (MD) since it has long been thought to be related to autoimmune disorders and allergies.Data SourcesWe retrieved records from Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library to identify studies published between January 2002 and October 2022.Review MethodsArticles were independently assessed by 2 reviewers and verified by a third reviewer. Published cross‐sectional studies, cohort/longitudinal studies, case series, and noncomparative cohort studies were considered eligible for inclusion. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis according to a registered protocol on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses guidelines. Selected studies were classified into 2 groups: epidemiological and genetic association studies. Relative frequencies and odds ratios (ORs) for each autoinflammatory/autoimmune disease or genetic marker reported to be associated with MD.ResultsFifteen studies from 6 countries met our inclusion criteria. Nine are epidemiological studies and 6 are genetic association studies. The epidemiological studies were used to perform 3 different meta‐analyses. Airway allergic disease and autoimmune thyroid disease showed a significant association with MD (OR = 2.27 [2.08‐2.48] and OR = 1.35 [1.25‐1.46]); while rheumatoid arthritis did not (OR = 0.63 [0.28‐1.41]). Other comorbidities also showed a significant association with MD like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, vitiligo, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and psoriasis.ConclusionEpidemiological evidence supports an association between MD and immune‐related disorders in European and Asian populations, with population‐specific effects. The evaluation of thyroid diseases, airway allergic diseases, and other inflammatory diseases should be implemented in the clinical management of MD patients.

Exploring causal correlations between inflammatory cytokines and Ménière’s disease: a Mendelian randomization

“…Recent investigations have extensively explored the correlations between MD and a wide array of immune inflammation-related cytokines. Meta-analyses have underscored notable associations between MD and conditions like airway allergic disease and autoimmune thyroid disease ( 37 ), suggesting that allergic reactions could potentially trigger EH, consequently leading to MD ( 38 , 39 ). Notably, MD patients exhibit a distinctive cytokine profile characterized by Th17/Treg imbalance, notably elevated Treg and Treg/Th17 levels in individuals with allergies compared to controls ( 37 ).…”

A systematic review of the clinical evidence for an association between type I hypersensitivity and inner ear disorders

“…In addition, a recent review on allergy and MD, published as we were preparing our work for submission, explored this issue in depth and confirmed the importance of allergy in the diagnosis and etiology of MD ( 70 ). Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis identified allergies (defined as asthma, allergic asthma, and AR) as important risk factors for MD (OR = 2.27) ( 71 ).…”

Cytokine profiling and transcriptomics in mononuclear cells define immune variants in Meniere Disease

“…There is extensive evidence supporting the autoimmune/autoinflammatory etiology of MD [ 10 ], namely the high prevalence of diseases in this spectrum [ 11 – 13 ], the existence of variants in immune-related genes associated with disease progression in MD [ 3 ], and increased cytokine levels in MD patients [ 9 , 14 – 17 ].…”