Is the taste acuity affected by oral dryness in primary Sjögren’s syndrome patients?

Abstract

Objectives Taste disturbance is a symptom of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) of unknown aetiology. This study's objectives were (a) to compare taste function in pSS vs. healthy subjects; (b) to establish whether there is an association between the taste acuity and oral dryness and/or the neurosensory threshold; and (c) to assess the impact of taste dysfunction on the quality of life (QoL). Methodology This study was conducted on 65 pSS females and 62 healthy volunteers. The gustatory function was tested with taste strips test. Visual analogue scale was used for self‐assessment of taste function. The electrogustometer was used to assess the neurosensory threshold. The oral dryness was assessed by the Clinical Oral Dryness Score, salivary flow rate and Xerostomia Inventory. The general and oral health‐related QoL and mental health well‐being were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results The pSS group had significantly impaired taste function, but this was not correlated with oral dryness. There was an association between taste acuity and the neurosensory threshold (β = −0.5, 95% CI = −0.2 to −0.1). The QoL was not impacted by taste dysfunction (p > .5). Conclusion The results suggest that taste impairment in pSS is associated with neurosensory dysfunction and is unlikely to be due to oral dryness.

Smell Dysfunction in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome: impact on quality of life

“…We concluded that the smell dysfunction did not compromise the QoL or the mental health well-being in patients diagnosed with SS. This nding was similar to our ndings reported in a previous publication showing that taste impairment in patients with SS did not compromise the QoL or mental health wellbeing 14 . These ndings indicate that the smell and taste problems were not identi ed as signi cant health issues by patients with SS.…”

“…Taste Strips Test (TST) (Burghart Medical Technologies, Wedel, Germany) was used to assess the threshold of the taste function of four primary tastes: sweet, sour, salt and bitter. These strips were placed on three sites on the anterior 2/3 of the tongue; tip, right and left sides 14 . The taste test results were grouped according to each individual test tested; sweet, sour, salt and bitter.…”

“…It is recognised in the literature that patients diagnosed with SS may have smell and taste problems 14,15 , but it is unclear whether the smell dysfunction is in uenced by the taste disturbance in these patients or correlated with the dryness of mucosal membranes or with neuropathy. Therefore, the primary aims of this study was to assess the prevalence of smell dysfunction in a cohort of patients with SS, to evaluate the impact of smell dysfunction on the QoL, to investigate whether the smell function is correlated with the severity of mucosal dryness or with a taste dysfunction.…”

Physiology of the tongue with emphasis on taste transduction

“…Loss of the salivary exocrine function results in dry mouth; thus loss of taste in pSS patients has been routinely attributed to the pathology accompanying loss of saliva ( 312 ). However, a recent study addressed the possibly that neurosensory dysfunction underlies taste impairment in pSS ( 313 ). Applying both TST and EGM, the authors showed that oral dryness did not correlate with impaired taste function but there was an association between taste acuity and neurosensory threshold.…”

Dysgeusia

“… 174 The mechanisms proposed to explain dysgeusia associated with SS include systemic inflammation, interaction with genetic pathways that influence gustation, an increase in the taste threshold, and small fiber neuropathy. 175 , 176 Possibly due to the fact that sweet taste is independent of salivation, there was minimal alteration of the sweet taste in patients with SS. 177 , 178 Other dysgeusia-associated disorders include autoimmune encephalitis, myasthenia gravis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson disease.…”