Detection of parainfluenza virus 3 in turbinate epithelial cells of postviral olfactory dysfunction patients.
OBJECTIVE
Postviral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD) develops after a common cold, but little is known about the viral pathogen inducing olfactory dysfunction. We hypothesized that human parainfluenza virus 3 (PIV3) may cause PVOD. We therefore assayed the nasal cavity mucosae of PVOD patients for the presence or persistence of PIV3.


METHODS
We assessed 25 patients (5 men, 20 women), ranging in age from 31 to 85 (mean, 51) years, diagnosed with PVOD and 22 controls (18 men, 4 women) diagnosed with nasal septal deviation between July 2005 and August 2006. Inferior turbinate epithelial cells were collected using a Rhino-probe mucosal curette, and PIV3 was assayed by seminested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
PVOD occurred most frequently between May and July. Hyposmia was observed in 60% of patients and anosmia in 40%. The most common clinical symptoms were rhinorrhea, sore throat, nasal obstruction, fever, myalgia, cough, and hoarseness. Patients usually visited the outpatient clinic within 3 months after the onset of olfactory dysfunction. Twenty-two of 25 (88.0%) epithelial samples from PVOD patients were positive for PIV3 compared with 2 of 22 (9.1%) epithelial samples from controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The high detection rate of PIV3 in the turbinate epithelial cells of PVOD patients suggests that PIV3 may be the causative virus of PVOD.
Wang
Jong Hwan
JH
Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Kwon
Hyun Ja
HJ
Jang
Yong Ju
YJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D010224:Parainfluenza Virus 3, Human / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D010253:Respirovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014420:Turbinates
D012367:RNA, Viral