PATIENTS WITH MENIERES-DISEASE POSSESS IGE REACTING WITH HERPES FAMILY VIRUSES

Objective: To determine if patients with Meniere's disease possess ser um IgE specific for herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1, HSV type 2, Eps tein-Barr virus, and/or cytomegalovirus. Design: A modified radioaller gosorbent test method was employed wherein each serum sample was proce ssed with recombinant protein A to remove competing non-IgE antibodies , and HSV-1, HSV-2, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr viral proteins w ere used as potential antigens. Patients: Ten patients with long-stand ing active Meniere's disease were tested. Ten age- and gender-matched patients with allergic rhinitis but without Meniere's disease served a s control subjects. Results: IgE specific for HSV-1, HSV-2, Epstein-Ba rr virus, and/or cytomegalovirus was found in the serum sample of nine of 10 patients with Meniere's disease but only in four of 10 control serum samples. Of the positive subjects tested, seven patients with Me niere's disease were positive for IgE for at least three viruses compa red with only two control subjects. Conclusions: (1) Most patients wit h Meniere's disease possess virus-specific IgE in their serum samples; (2) four viruses of the herpes family are capable of inducing such Ig E-mediated sensitization; and (3) latent virus-specific, IgE-mediated inflammation may be an important factor in the initiation and/or suste nance of Meniere's disease.