ABSTRACT
Introduction: Plenty of antidepressants have been reported to induce unpleasant tastes and/or odors as well as altered chemosensations when administered alone or in combination with other medications. Trazodone induced hypogeusia (decreased taste sensation) is a rare side effect. In this report, we would like to present a male patient with with hypogeusia after trazodona use and persisting for 3 months after the drug was discontinued will be discussed. Objective(s): A 52-year-old male, Trazodone 50 mg/day was started 4 months ago due to difficulty in falling asleep. On the 25th day of her daily treatment, her sense of taste began to decrease and gradually became more severe. So he stopped his treatment and he applied to the internal medicine and neurology polyclinics. Routine blood tests were within normal limits. To rule out the possibility of covid 19, 2 pcr tests were done and it was found negative. No recommendations other than chewing gum. The patient applied to the psychiatry polyclinic with the complaint of decreased taste sensation that in the 3rd month of his complaints. Method(s): CASE REPORT Results: CASE REPORT Conclusion(s): Chemosensory side effects due to drugs are frequently seen in the elderly and in polypharmacy. It is usually accompanied by a decrease in salivary secretion. It resolves shortly after the causative drug(s) are stopped. It is important that our patient is middle-aged, does not have additional medical diseases and does not use drugs, and his complaints continue for 3 months after the stopped of Trazodone.
ABSTRACT
Background To date, systematic studies on the cause and prevalence of childhood hyposmia are lacking. The causes of this olfactory dysfunction can vary from simple adenoid hyperplasia or a condition following covid-19 infection to the rare Kallmann syndrome. Regardless of the entity, olfactory disorders can not only severely limit children's quality of life but also present a diagnostic challenge. Methods In the period from March to October 2021, 66 children (33 female, 33 male) between 5 and 18 years of age were examined. 41 of these children showed hyperplasia of the lymphatic tissue (adenoid vegetations and/or tonsillar hyperplasia). 25 healthy children without lymphatic hyperplasia were included in the control group. By means of the 'U-Sniff Test', an olfactory test validated for children, the preoperative olfactory ability was assessed. In addition to the known 12 olfactory sticks, we added two additional odors (chewing gum and ethanol). Results 39 % of the children with lymphoid hyperplasia showed a result below 8 points in the 'U-Sniff Test', while the controle group had regular test results. Children with lymphoid tissue hyperplasia were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with hyposmia than are children from the control group (p < 0.01). Odors unpleasant for children, such as fish or coffee, were more reliably detected than fragrant smells. The odor chewing gum was recognized by 91 % of the children in the age group under 6 years of age. The childrens origin or eating habits showed no correlation with their performance in the 'U-sniff Test'. Conclusion Children with lymphoid hyperplasia suffer significantly more often from hyposmia than children without adenoid/tonsillar hyperplasia. There is an evidence gap in the literature regarding this correlation.
ABSTRACT
To advance a novel concept of debulking virus in the oral cavity, the primary site of viral replication, virus-trapping proteins CTB-ACE2 were expressed in chloroplasts and clinical-grade plant material was developed to meet FDA requirements. Chewing gum (2 g) containing plant cells expressed CTB-ACE2 up to 17.2 mg ACE2/g dry weight (11.7% leaf protein), have physical characteristics and taste/flavor like conventional gums, and no protein was lost during gum compression. CTB-ACE2 gum efficiently (>95%) inhibited entry of lentivirus spike or VSV-spike pseudovirus into Vero/CHO cells when quantified by luciferase or red fluorescence. Incubation of CTB-ACE2 microparticles reduced SARS-CoV-2 virus count in COVID-19 swab/saliva samples by >95% when evaluated by microbubbles (femtomolar concentration) or qPCR, demonstrating both virus trapping and blocking of cellular entry. COVID-19 saliva samples showed low or undetectable ACE2 activity when compared with healthy individuals (2,582 versus 50,126 ΔRFU; 27 versus 225 enzyme units), confirming greater susceptibility of infected patients for viral entry. CTB-ACE2 activity was completely inhibited by pre-incubation with SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, offering an explanation for reduced saliva ACE2 activity among COVID-19 patients. Chewing gum with virus-trapping proteins offers a general affordable strategy to protect patients from most oral virus re-infections through debulking or minimizing transmission to others.