Mediterr. J. Otol 2008; 4:(3)

Relationship between Acoustic Trauma and Serum Level of Vitamin B₁₂, Folic Acid, Zinc, Magnesium and MDA (Malondialdehyde)
Bilal Çetin, Engin Çekin, Hakan Cıncık, Atila Güngör
Department of Otolaryngology Sivas Military Hospital, Sivas, Turkey  rbilalcetin@gmail.com

Introduction: In our study, relationship between hearing loss due to acoustic trauma and serum levels of vitamin B₁₂, folic acid, zinc, magnesium and malondialdehyde were investigated.

Material and Methods: The study was carried out on 135 healthy male individuals who were subjected to 138 dB sound intensity level. The mean age was 22 years. Pure-tone audiometry tests including high frequencies were performed to all individuals at one day before, same day and one month later with reference to the time of acoustic trauma. One day and four days after acoustic trauma, serum levels of vitamin B₁₂, folic acid, zinc, magnesium and malondialdehyde were measured.

Results: After acoustic trauma, notch type hearing loss at 4000 Hz frequency was observed at 83 of the participants. However there was no significant difference among high frequency audiometry thresholds (p>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between serum levels of malondialdehyde before and after acoustic trauma in all subjects (p<0.05). There was no significant relationship between hearing loss due to acoustic trauma and serum levels of vitamin B₁₂, folic acid, zinc and magnesium (p>0.05).

Conclusion: These results indicate that free oxygen radicals play a role in the pathophysiology of acoustic trauma even though it is not directly related to the serum levels of vitamin B₁₂, folic acid, zinc and magnesium.