• Dan Bing, Da-Yong Wang, Lan Lan, Li-Dong Zhao, Zi-Fang Yin, Lan Yu, Lin-Yi Xie, Jing Guan, and Qiu-Ju Wang.
• Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Institute of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
• Otol. Neurotol. 2019 Jul 1; 40 (6): 728-735.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of serum bilirubin level with hearing outcomes in bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (BSSHL) patients.ParticipantsOne hundred thirteen in-patient BSSHL patients were consecutively enrolled between July 2008 and December 2015 in a tertiary center.Main Outcome MeasuresMultivariable linear regression, generalized estimating equations (GEE), and stratified analyses were applied to examine the association between serum bilirubin level and hearing outcome measures such as final hearing threshold and absolute and relative hearing gains in BSSHL.ResultsAfter full adjustment for potential confounders, total bilirubin levels (TBIL) were observed to be positively and independently associated with hearing outcomes as measured by final hearing (β [95% confidence interval {CI}]: -1.5 [-2.7, -0.2] dB HL per 1 μmol/L increase in TBIL) and absolute and relative hearing gains (β [95% CI]: 1.4 [0.2, 2.7] dB and 1.6 [0.2, 3.1] dB, respectively) in the severe to profound hearing loss subpopulation.ConclusionsHigher TBIL levels, within the normal or mildly elevated ranges, were independently and significantly associated with better hearing outcome in BSSHL patients with severe to profound hearing loss. Given bilirubin elevation treatments exist, our finding suggests a novel pharmacological strategy for this specific subpopulation.

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