Occupational Lead Exposure Ototoxicity Evaluated With Distortion-Product Otoacoustic Emissions.

Objectives: To evaluate the extent of hearing loss among pottery workers in Mexico exposed to lead.

Design: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study including 315 adult pottery workers. Auditory function was evaluated by air conduction pure-tone audiometry (pure-tone average) and distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels (amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio).

Prestin and otolin-1 proteins in the hearing loss of adults chronically exposed to lead.

Background: Some studies in animal models and humans suggest that exposure to lead is associated with hearing loss. Lead can reach the inner ear through the blood circulation; evidence suggests that lead could accumulate in the inner ear, causing inner ear damage.

Aim: To evaluate prestin and otolin-1 protein levels and their relationship with an increased hearing threshold in participants exposed to lead.