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Biomolecules Oct 2023COVID-19 patients can exhibit a wide range of clinical manifestations affecting various organs and systems. Neurological symptoms have been reported in COVID-19... (Review)
Review
COVID-19 patients can exhibit a wide range of clinical manifestations affecting various organs and systems. Neurological symptoms have been reported in COVID-19 patients, both during the acute phase of the illness and in cases of long-term COVID. Moderate symptoms include ageusia, anosmia, altered mental status, and cognitive impairment, and in more severe cases can manifest as ischemic cerebrovascular disease and encephalitis. In this narrative review, we delve into the reported neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19, as well as the underlying mechanisms contributing to them. These mechanisms include direct damage to neurons, inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein misfolding. We further investigate the potential of small molecules from natural products to offer neuroprotection in models of neurodegenerative diseases. Through our analysis, we discovered that flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and other natural compounds exhibit neuroprotective effects by modulating signaling pathways known to be impacted by COVID-19. Some of these compounds also directly target SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. Therefore, molecules of natural origin show promise as potential agents to prevent or mitigate nervous system damage in COVID-19 patients. Further research and the evaluation of different stages of the disease are warranted to explore their potential benefits.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Neuroprotective Agents; SARS-CoV-2; Nervous System Diseases; Encephalitis
PubMed: 38002267
DOI: 10.3390/biom13111585 -
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases Oct 2023Ten percentage of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 report having gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Ten percentage of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 report having gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) not only infects the pulmonary but also the GI tract. GI infections including that due to viral infection is known to cause postinfection disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI); hence, we wish to review the long-term GI consequences following COVID-19, particularly post-COVID-19 DGBI.
RECENT FINDINGS
At least 12 cohort studies, four of which also included controls documented the occurrence of post-COVID-19 DGBI, particularly IBS following COVID-19. The risk factors for post-COVID-19 DGBI included female gender, symptomatic COVID-19, particularly GI symptoms, the severity of COVID-19, the occurrence of anosmia and ageusia, use of antibiotics and hospitalization during the acute illness, persistent GI symptoms beyond 1 month after recovery, presence of mental health factors, The putative mechanisms for post-COVID-19 DGBI include altered gut motility, visceral hypersensitivity, gut microbiota dysbiosis, GI inflammation, and immune activation, changes in intestinal permeability, and alterations in the enteroendocrine system and serotonin metabolism.
SUMMARY
Long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV2 infection may persist even after recovery from COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 are more likely to develop post-COVID-19 IBS than healthy controls. Post-COVID-19 IBS may pose a substantial healthcare burden to society.
Topics: Humans; Female; COVID-19; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 37606895
DOI: 10.1097/QCO.0000000000000959 -
European Respiratory Review : An... Jun 2023The efficacy and safety of gefapixant in adults with chronic cough remain unclear. Our objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of gefapixant using updated... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The efficacy and safety of gefapixant in adults with chronic cough remain unclear. Our objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of gefapixant using updated evidence.
METHODS
MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Embase databases were searched from inception through September 2022. Subgroup analysis based on dose of gefapixant ( ≤20, 45-50 and ≥100 mg twice daily for low, moderate and high doses, respectively) was performed to explore a potential dose-dependent effect.
RESULTS
Five studies involving seven trials showed the efficacy of moderate- or high-dose gefapixant for reducing objective 24-h cough frequency (estimated relative reduction 30.9% and 58.5%, respectively) ( primary outcome) and awake cough frequency (estimated relative reduction 47.3% and 62.8%, respectively). Night-time cough frequency was only reduced with high-dose gefapixant. Consistently, the use of moderate- or high-dose gefapixant significantly alleviated cough severity and improved cough-related quality of life, but increased the risk of all-cause adverse events (AEs), treatment-related AEs and ageusia/dysgeusia/hypogeusia. Subgroup analysis showed dose dependency in both efficacy and AEs with a cut-off dose being ≥45 mg twice daily.
CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis revealed dose-dependent efficacy and adverse effects of gefapixant against chronic cough. Further studies are required to investigate the feasibility of moderate-dose ( 45-50 mg twice daily) gefapixant in clinical practice.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Chronic Disease; Cough; Pyrimidines; Quality of Life; Sulfonamides; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 37197770
DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0219-2022 -
Turkish Neurosurgery Aug 2023Taste consists of perception and sensation. Specific neural structures transmit a stimulus from the taste buds to the gustatory cortex to generate taste sensation. Any...
Taste consists of perception and sensation. Specific neural structures transmit a stimulus from the taste buds to the gustatory cortex to generate taste sensation. Any disruption of this pathway, whether it affects sensation or perception, can result in taste disorders. Stereotactic procedures involving the thalamus may result in gustatory complications. A 41-year-old female patient who underwent stereotactic drainage of a thalamic cyst suffered transient ageusia. Subsequently, she developed metallic taste perception. When her stereotactic plan was re-evaluated, it was noted that the posteromedial ventral thalamus nucleus was in the path of the needle tract and the needle had passed through it. Follow-up was recommended and her symptoms completely resolved within 2 months following surgery. Modern imaging techniques allow for the visualization of neural structures related to the sense of taste. Additionally, care must be taken when planning stereotactic procedures for such lesions.
PubMed: 38874247
DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.43601-23.3 -
Asian Journal of Surgery Nov 2023
Topics: Humans; Ageusia; Propofol; Anosmia; Anesthesia, General
PubMed: 37734983
DOI: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2023.07.001 -
Ear, Nose, & Throat Journal Jun 2024To systematically review the cases of anosmia or ageusia after receiving the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. A systematic search was conducted in... (Review)
Review
To systematically review the cases of anosmia or ageusia after receiving the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. A systematic search was conducted in electronic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and PubMed, to identify any published study that evaluated the anosmia or ageusia after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, including case reports, case series, letter to editor articles with reported cases regarding our topic, or observational studies with at least 1 eligible patient consisted with our criteria. We excluded the studies that reported anosmia or ageusia due to COVID-19 infection and non-COVID-19 vaccines. Five studies consisting of 11 patients were included in this systematic review. Of the 11 patients, 5 patients had received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and 6 patients received the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, of which 6 patients developed symptoms after the first dose of vaccination and 5 patients were symptomatic after the second vaccine dose. Most of the patients developed symptoms within 1 week after the vaccination. The disorders of the patients included partial or total anosmia, parosmia, phantosmia, hyposmia, ageusia, and dysgeusia. Also, the patients had symptoms other than smell or taste disorders, including arthralgia, fever, chills, rhinorrhea, myalgia, abdominal pain, fatigue, muscle weakness, altered bowel pattern, aural fullness, tinnitus, and headache. Most of the evaluated patients did not receive any treatment as for their disorders. However, in some cases, treatment with oral corticosteroids or dietary supplementation was required. Anosmia and ageusia are important symptoms of COVID-19 vaccination. These symptoms will resolve without any treatment in most cases, although some interventions may be needed in some patients.
Topics: Humans; Ageusia; Anosmia; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Female; Male; Vaccination; SARS-CoV-2; Middle Aged; Adult; BNT162 Vaccine; Aged
PubMed: 38411125
DOI: 10.1177/01455613241233098 -
Emerging Microbes & Infections Dec 2023Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in China has grown rapidly after adjustment of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 strategy. However, how different vaccination states...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in China has grown rapidly after adjustment of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 strategy. However, how different vaccination states affect symptoms, severity and post COVID conditions was unclear. Here, we used an online questionnaire to investigate the infection status of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among 11,897 participants, with 55.55% positive and 28.42% negative. The common COVID-19 symptoms were fatigue (73.31%), cough (70.02%), fever (65.25%) and overall soreness (58.64%); self-reported asymptomatic infection accounted for 0.7% of participants. The persistent symptoms at 1 month after infection included fatigue (48.7%), drowsiness (34.3%), cough (30.1%), decreased exercise ability (23.1%) and pharyngeal discomfort (19.4%), which was reduced by more than 200% at 2 months. Participants with complications such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes, hypertension, etc. have a higher proportion of hospitalization and longer recovery time (< = 0.01). Multiple vaccination statuses reduced the infection ( < 0.001) and severity rates ( = 0.022) by varying degrees as well as reduced the risk of high fever (>39.1 °C), chills, diarrhea and ageusia/anosmia, respectively ( < 0.05). Vaccination may enhance some upper respiratory symptoms, including sore throat, nasal congestion and runny nose, respectively ( < 0.05). Participants who had been vaccinated within 3 months were better protected by helping reduce their risk of overall soreness, chills and ageusia/anosmia, respectively ( < 0.05). In conclusion, our work has updated the epidemic characteristics of the breakthrough infection (BTI) wave after the dynamic zero-COVID-19 strategy, providing data and insights on how different vaccination statuses affect COVID-19 symptoms and disease prognosis.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Ageusia; Anosmia; Breakthrough Infections; Chills; Cough; China; Fatigue; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 37691586
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2258232