Combined genetic polymorphisms of the GSTT1 and NRF2 genes increase susceptibility to cisplatin-induced ototoxicity: A preliminary study

Objective

The genotype-phenotype relationship in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity remains unclear. By assessing early shifts in distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels after initial cisplatin administration, we aimed to discriminate patients’ susceptibility to cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and elucidate their genetic background.

Study Design

A prospective cross-sectional study.

Setting

Tertiary referral hospital in Japan.

Patients

Twenty-six patients with head and neck cancer were undergoing chemoradiotherapy with three cycles of 100 mg/m² cisplatin.

Interventions

Repetitive pure-tone audiometry and DPOAE measurements, and blood sampling for DNA extraction were performed. Patients were grouped into early ototoxicity presence or absence based on whether DPOAE level shifts exceeded the corresponding reference limits of the 21-day test interval.

Main Outcome Measures

Hearing thresholds after each cisplatin cycle, severity of other adverse events, and polymorphisms in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity-associated genes were compared.

Results

Early ototoxicity was present in 14 and absent in 12 patients. Ototoxicity presence on DPOAEs was associated with greater progression of hearing loss in frequencies ≥2 kHz throughout therapy and with higher ototoxicity grades compared with ototoxicity absence. Ototoxicity was further associated with grade ≥2 nausea. Ototoxicity presence was genetically associated with the GSTT1 null genotype and G-allele of NFE2L2 rs6721961, whereas ototoxicity absence was associated with the GSTM1 null genotype. Dose-dependent progression of hearing loss was the greatest in the combined genotype pattern of GSTT1 null and the T/G or G/G variants of rs6721961.

Conclusion

Early DPOAE changes reflected genetic vulnerability to cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Hereditary insufficiency of the antioxidant defense system causes severe cisplatin-induced hearing loss and nausea.