Serum copper and iron levels in idiopathic tinnitus

Tinnitus is a multi-factorial disorder. Many oxidative pathologies in different loci of auditory pathway can cause it. In this regard oxidative processes result in an imbalance in the trace elements in ear incorporated into the structure of enzymes responsible for antioxidant protection. Therefore, the present study is aimed to compare the concentration of iron (Fe) and cupper (Cu) as the trace elements in the serum of patients with tinnitus and the healthy subjects.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with idiopathic tinnitus (n=55) and the healthy volunteers (n=47) referred to the ENT clinic of Alzahra hospital (Isfahan, Iran) during 2014-2015. Among the healthy participants 47 age- and sex-matched cases were selected based on convenient sampling. The concentration of Fe and Cu were measured by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy.
There was a significant decrease in mean serum Cu level in patients with tinnitus (112.48±27.59) compared to the control group (139.52±14.24), (P In the present study, a relationship was seen between the serum Cu level and the occurrence of tinnitus. Given the notion that trace elements are among the antioxidant micronutrients, defining such a cause-and-effect relationship between trace elements and tinnitus may shed some light on the treatment of the disease, which requires more studies.