Methods and compositions for diagnosing and treating loss and/or distortion of taste or smell
Disclosed herein are methods for diagnosing a subject with loss and/or distortion of taste or smell, e.g., hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, hypogeusia, dysgeusia, phantogeusia, and/or ageusia. Also disclosed herein are methods and compositions for treating a subject for loss and/or distortion of taste or smell, e.g., hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, hypogeusia, dysgeusia, phantogeusia, and/or ageusia.
1. A method of treating a taste or smell disorder, comprising administering to a subject having the taste or smell disorder a pharmaceutical composition comprising a PDE inhibitor, wherein the administering is sufficient to increase a level of sonic hedgehog (SHH) in nasal mucus or saliva of the subject by at least about 10%, relative to a level of SHH prior to the administering.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 8, wherein about is plus or minus 10%.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is a female.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administering is sufficient to decrease an H value for pyridine or thiophene, relative to an H value for pyridine or thiophene prior to the administering.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administering is sufficient to decrease an H value for pyridine or thiophene, relative to an H value for pyridine or thiophene prior to the administering.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the taste or smell disorder comprises hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, or a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is a non-selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is a selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is a phosphodiesterase-1 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-2 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-3 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-4 selective inhibitor, a phosphodiesterase-5 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof, a phosphodiesterase-10 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; or any combination thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is roflumilast, or a salt thereof cilostazol, or a salt thereof; or any combination thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is theophylline, or a salt thereof.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administering is intranasal.
13. A method comprising:
a. measuring a level of sonic hedgehog (SHH) in a biological sample that comprises nasal mucus, saliva, or a combination thereof;
b. with the aid of a computer system comprising a computer processor and computer readable memory, identifying a subject as having a taste or smell disorder, wherein the identifying comprises:
i. comparing a level of SHH in the biological sample a threshold level stored at least transiently on the computer readable memory;
ii. detecting a lower level of SHH in the biological sample, relative to the threshold level; and
iii. communicating a presence of the taste or smell disorder based on the detecting of (ii).
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising repeating (a) after a time period of about a week after the measuring of (a).
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising administering a PDE inhibitor after the identifying of (b).
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising monitoring the progression of treatment of the PDE inhibitor, wherein the monitoring comprises:
performing the identifying of (b) after the administering over the time period of about a week, and repeating the administering if the level of SHH in the biological sample is lower than the threshold level.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising terminating the administering of the PDE inhibitor or salt thereof when the level of SHH is in the biological sample is at least 10% higher than the threshold level.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the taste or smell disorder comprises hyposmia, dysosmia, anosmia, phantosmia, or a combination thereof.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is a non-selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is a selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof, is a phosphodiesterase-1 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-2 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-3 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; a phosphodiesterase-4 selective inhibitor, a phosphodiesterase-5 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof, a phosphodiesterase-10 selective inhibitor, or a salt thereof; or any combination thereof.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is roflumilast, or a salt thereof cilostazol, or a salt thereof; or any combination thereof.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the PDE inhibitor is theophylline, or a salt thereof.