Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: Congenital Hearing Loss Groups (Cochlear Implant Group and Hearing Aid Group) * Age under 18 years * Congenital sensorineural hearing loss diagnosed at the Otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic and confirmed by audiological testing (auditory brainstem response, otoacoustic emissions and/or pure-tone audiometry) * Active use of a cochlear implant (Cochlear Implant Group) or active use of a hearing aid without cochlear implantation (Hearing Aid Group) * No condition preventing collection of a peripheral blood sample * Written informed consent from the parent or legal guardian Healthy Control Group * Age under 18 years * No diagnosis of hearing loss and normal audiological evaluation * No condition preventing collection of a peripheral blood sample * Written informed consent from the parent or legal guardian Exclusion Criteria (all groups): * Syndromic hearing loss * Acute infection, chronic inflammatory disease, autoimmune disease or other systemic disease * History of malignancy or active malignant disease * Immunodeficiency or use of immunosuppressive therapy * Use of systemic corticosteroids, biologic agents or immunomodulatory therapy within the last 4 weeks