Serum otolin-1 as a biomarker for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: a case-control study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate serum otolin-1 levels in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and to compare these levels with healthy individuals.MethodThis was a case-control study. After obtaining institutional ethical committee clearance, the serum level of otolin-1 was calculated in adult individuals (18–75 years old) who were divided into group 1 (patients presenting with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) and group 2 (healthy patients without benign paroxysmal positional vertigo as the control group). Data analysis was carried out to compare the serum levels in the cases and controls. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.ResultsA total of 70 age-matched individuals (cases, n = 40; controls, n = 30) were included in the study. The mean serum level of otolin-1 was 636.8 pg/ml (range, 259–981 pg/ml) in the group of patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and 236.2 pg/ml (range, 189–370 pg/ml) in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0000).ConclusionThe serum levels of otolin-1 in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are significantly higher compared with individuals without benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.