Audiologic Measures in an Indigenous Community with A2ML1- and FUT2- Related Otitis Media.

Many indigenous peoples are at elevated risk for otitis media, however there is limited information on hearing loss due to OM in these communities. An Indigenous Filipino community that has previously been described with an elevated prevalence of OM that is due to rare variants and a common variant underwent additional phenological testing. In this study, we describe the audiologic profiles in - and -related otitis media and the validity of otoscopy and genotyping for and variants in screening for otitis media and hearing loss. We analyzed and genotypes together with demographic, otologic and audiologic data from tympanometry and hearing level assessments of 109 indigenous individuals. We confirmed previous findings of a spectrum of nonsyndromic otitis media as associated with variants. and variants were associated with high-frequency hearing loss at 4000 Hz. As expected, young age was associated with flat tympanograms, and eardrum perforations due to chronic otitis media were associated with severe-to-profound hearing loss across frequencies. Adding or genotypes improved the validity of otoscopy as a screening test to rule out moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Continued multi-disciplinary management and audiologic follow-up using tympanometry and screening audiometry are needed to document and treat otitis media and prevent permanent hearing loss in the indigenous community.