Although very little is known about the role of immunologic responses in disorders of the inner ear, including sensorineural hearing loss, data lending support to the possibility of their involvement have recently been published. The present experimental study was undertaken to obtain a better understanding of the fine structures of the inner ear following systemic immune responses. In guinea pigs sensitized with egg albumin, antigen challenge not only evoked bronchospasms, but also induced some pathologic changes in the inner ear, especially in the stria vascularis. These findings lead to the inference that the inner ear may be affected by systemic immune responses in sensitized animals.
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