Antibodies of type II collagen and immune complexes in Menière's disease.

In a previous study, we showed that endolymphatic hydrops was induced in 36% of guinea pigs immunized with type II collagen and that dominant negative summating potential (SP) was recorded for these hydropic animals. In the present study, we evaluated the levels of serum antibody to type II collagen and three other immune indexes in patients with Menière's disease, especially those who showed negative SP dominance in ECoG. Twenty-nine Menière's cases, 22 normal volunteers serving as controls, 28 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cases, and 9 patients complaining of vertigo were examined to detect serum immune indexes. Menière's patients exhibited high values of serum anti-type II collagen antibody compared with control subjects. Furthermore, total IgG, C3, anti-type II collagen antibody and CIC were increased with the highest levels being in the RA group, followed by Menière's disease group and then the control group. These results probably reflect the extent of immune reaction development. The immune response may be generalized in RA cases and/or local in Menière's disease. These results suggest the development of certain immune status abnormalities in our cases, which lends support to the idea of immunologic disorder playing a role in the etiology of some cases of Menière's disease.