title: Taste and appetite disorders of chronic hepatitis C patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Decreased appetite is one of the main factors that influences quality of life of patients with chronic liver diseases. The reason for appetite disorders remains unclear but taste perturbations are one of the postulated causes. The potential role of taste alterations and, connected to these, appetite disorders in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients are poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential taste alterations (dysgeusia) including all five tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami) in CHC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty CHC patients (16 men and 24 women) infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus participated in this study. All the patients had a compensated liver disease and were being treated with any agents. One hundred and ten healthy volunteers were matched to the patients by age and sex. The study included gustatory tests (taste recognition threshold, taste intensity with hedonic perception) and analysis of the pleasure derived from eating.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In CHC patients, the recognition threshold of umami taste was increased (P<0.01) and the intensity of sweet taste perception was higher (P<0.05). The hedonic response did not differ between the groups. A significant increase in declared pleasure derived from eating (P<0.001 to P<0.05) was also observed. Some differences in case of the patients with more advanced disease were also found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alterations in taste, especially umami and sweet taste disorders, may alter real food perception and lead to a reduction in food intake in some CHC patients.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Basic Biomedical Science, Medical University of Silesia, Sosnowiec, Poland. jmusialik@sum.edu.pl
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Musialik
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Suchecka
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klimacka-Nawrot
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petelenz
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Błońska-Fajfrowska
mesh_terms: D001066:Appetite; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004435:Eating; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057181:Pleasure; D011788:Quality of Life; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013649:Taste; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D055697:Taste Perception; D013652:Taste Threshold