title: [Time course of changes in gustatory function test results and subjective symptoms, and predictive factors for response in patients with taste disorder receiving 24-week zinc replacement treatment].
abstract: In a taste disorder, an agreement between patients' complaints and gustatory function test results is not necessarily found both at the initial hospital visit and during the course of treatment; therefore, it is difficult to assess treatment responses and review treatment strategies based on the assessed treatment responses. The present study investigated the time course of changes in disc gustometry results and subjective symptom scores measured at 4-week intervals in 44 patients with a taste disorder who were considered eligible for zinc replacement treatment and who received polaprezinc at a dose of 150 mg/day (equivalent to a 34 mg/day dose of zinc) for up to 24 weeks. The study also examined the potential differences in treatment outcomes according to the predictive factors for response such as patient background and assessed disc gustometry results during the course of treatment. Results indicated that disc gustometry results and subjective symptom scores showed different time courses of changes. The response rate as measured by disc gustometry was 47.7% at week 12 of treatment, and showed a subsequent slow increase to 56.8% at week 24. On the other hand, subjective symptom scores showed a time-proportional improvement up to week 24. Among the patients included in the present study, a clear difference was found according to the presence or absence of an improving trend as determined by disc gustometry at week 12 of treatment, although there were no differences in ultimate treatment responses, including categories of taste disorder, according to patient background. Patients showing a trend toward improvement had significantly better treatment responses in terms of both ultimate response rates and subjective symptom scores, whereas patients showing no trend toward improvement were less likely to respond to the subsequent 12-week continued treatment.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakagami
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurono
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Inokuchi
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Tsunemasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aiba
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nin
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002336:Carnosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C061957:polaprezinc; D002336:Carnosine