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 comprising:
(a) measuring a level of sonic hedgehog (SHH) and a level of cyclic nucleotide in a biological sample that comprises a nasal mucus, a saliva, or a combination thereof;
(b) identifying, with aid of a computer system comprising a computer processing unit and computer readable medium, a decreased level of SHH and a decreased level of cyclic nucleotide, wherein the identifying comprises:
(i) comparing the level of SHH and the level of cyclic nucleotide in the biological sample to a SHH reference level and a cyclic nucleotide reference level respectively, stored at least transiently on the computer readable medium;
(ii) detecting a lower level of SHH and a lower level of cyclic nucleotide in the biological sample, relative to the SHH reference level and the cyclic nucleotide reference level respectively; and
(iii) communicating a presence of the lower levels based on the detecting of (ii).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cyclic nucleotide is a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), or both.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biological sample comprises the nasal mucus.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating (a) after a time period of about a week after the measuring of (a).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biological sample comprises the saliva.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering a PDE inhibitor or a salt thereof to a subject when the decreased level of SHH and the decreased level of cyclic nucleotide is identified.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or the salt thereof, is a non-selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or the salt thereof, is a selective PDE inhibitor, or a salt thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selective PDE inhibitor, or h 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 6 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or the salt thereof, is roflumilast, or a salt thereof; cilostazol, or a salt thereof, or any combination thereof.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or the salt thereof, is theophylline, or a salt thereof.
12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the PDE inhibitor, or the salt thereof, is administered intranasally.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference level is from a patient without a taste or smell disorder.