Moreover, elevated levels of total and specific IgE were found in patients with MD, ISSHL and ALHL (31, 50, 54, 55) when compared to the controls, whereas the study by Ma et al. (31) found that total and specific IgE levels positively correlated with the SP/AP ratio and were predictors of ALHL recurrence and its transformation to MD. The gene discussed is IGHE; the disease is Menkes disease.