Alteration of the perception of cold, heat and texture of food in association with taste dysfunction in COVID-19

Abstract

COVID19 is characterized by alteration of smell and taste perception. It was investigated the presence ofalteration for cold, heat, and food consistency perception in COVID-19 patients and the possible correlationwith the most commonly used biomarkers in a routine way (CRP, IL-6, IL-1, PSP, PCT) to show if the localinflammatory process may induce alteration of cold, heat, and food consistency perception in COVID-19.From March 2020 to April 2021, a survey about taste and oral tactile/thermal sensitivity dysfunction wascarried out on 1155 patients with mild or moderate COVID-19, while patients admitted to intensive care wereexcluded because they could not answer questions from health professionals. Positive RT-PCR confirmedall diagnoses. CRP, IL-6, IL-1, PSP, and PCT were detected for each patient. Taste and Smell QuestionnaireSection of the US NHANES 2011−2014 protocol (CDC 2013b) was used for gustatory function assessment.The study was approved by the Ethics committee of AOU Policlinico Consorziale di Bari (No. 6388 COVID19DOM - protocol number 0034687/12-05-2020), and written informed consent was obtained.A total of 208 patients referred only to alteration to taste (208/821). 75/208 ageusia, 71/208 ipoageusia,21/208 fantageusia, 19/208 dysgeusia, 22/208 parageusia. Significant correlations between CRP, IL-6, IL-1,PSP, PCT levels and type of dysfunctions about the perception of heat, cold and food consistency have notbeen found (P>0.05). Loss of taste can be due to the action of inflammatory mediators on gustatory buds,while alteration of cold, heat and food consistency perception may be due to direct damage of filiformpapillae, allowing virus binding through the spike protein to ACE2 receptors of filiform papillae cells.