title: Effects of chemotherapy on gene expression of lingual taste receptors in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to test the hypothesis that chemotherapy changes the gene expression of taste receptors in the tongue to induce dysgeusia in patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observation study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 21 patients who received chemoradiotherapy and five patients who underwent radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the taste receptor subunits T1R1, T1R2, T1R3, and T2R5 were measured in lingual mucosa scrapings obtained with a small spatula. The perception thresholds of umami, sweet, and bitter tastes were assessed by the whole mouth gustatory test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In four patients with severe stomatitis induced by chemoradiotherapy, the mRNA levels of T1R1, T1R2, T1R3, and T2R5 in the lingual mucosa were significantly decreased. However, in 17 patients with mild/moderate stomatitis, the mRNA levels of T1R3 were significantly and transiently decreased, whereas those of T1R1 and T1R2 remained unchanged and those of T2R5 mRNA were significantly and transiently increased after chemotherapy. There was a significant negative correlation between the perception thresholds of umami or sweet tastes and lingual mRNA levels of T1R3 in patients with mild/moderate stomatitis after chemotherapy. Although the perception threshold of bitter taste remained unchanged, lingual mRNA levels of T2R5 were significantly increased in patients who complained of phantogeusia after chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemotherapy specifically changed the gene expression of T1R3 and T2R5 in head and neck cancer patients with mild/moderate stomatitis, resulting in both dysgeusia of umami and sweet tastes as well as phantogeusia.
  
  
  METHODS
  4. Laryngoscope, 126:E103-E109, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Applied Nutrition.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima.
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goda
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima.
authors.forename: Chisa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanno
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Applied Nutrition.
authors.forename: Misaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nobe
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Frontier Research Laboratories., Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Misako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: Frontier Research Laboratories., Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Applied Nutrition.
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Applied Nutrition.|Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima.|Frontier Research Laboratories., Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004408:Dysgeusia / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013650:Taste Buds / Q000187:drug effects; D014059:Tongue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C431926:taste receptors, type 1
keywords: Dysgeusia; head and neck cancer; taste receptors