ArticleInternational forum of allergy & rhinology2020
Does phenotypic expression of bitter taste receptor T2R38 show association with COVID-19 severity?
Article in International forum of allergy & rhinology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Taste receptors in chronic rhinosinusitus, what is the evidence? A systematic review.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2022Pooled it
- Genetic Variations in Bitter Taste Receptors and COVID-19 in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- TAS2R38 gene methylation is associated with syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and clinical symptoms.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Intranasal Chlorpheniramine for Early Symptomatic Treatment of COVID-19 and the Impact on Long-COVID.Cureus · 2025Review
- Bitter taste receptors in the gut-vascular axis: a novel target for immune and metabolic regulation of hypertension.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- Extragustatory bitter taste receptors in head and neck health and disease.Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany) · 2024Review
- TAS2R38 haplotypes, COVID-19 infection, and symptomatology: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- ACE2 and TAS2R38 receptor expression in pediatric and adult patients in the nasal and oral cavity.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2024Article
- Clinical Associations of Bitter Taste Perception and Bitter Taste Receptor Variants and the Potential for Personalized Healthcare.Pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine · 2023Article
- Distribution of TAS2R38 bitter taste receptor phenotype and haplotypes among COVID-19 patients.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Association Between Bitter Taste Receptor Phenotype and Clinical Outcomes Among Patients With COVID-19.JAMA network open · 2021Article
- Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 Based on T2R Phenotype.Viruses · 2021Article
- Computational Studies on T2Rs Agonist-Based Anti-COVID-19 Drug Design.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2021Article
- Does phenotypic expression of bitter taste receptor T2R38 show association with COVID-19 severity?International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2020Article
- Human T2R38 Bitter Taste Receptor Expression and COVID-19: From Immunity to Prognosis.Avicenna journal of medical biotechnologyArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the pathogen causing the outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) commencing in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Multiple reports have shown subjective loss of taste and smell as an early and hallmark symptom for COVID-19.
methodsA retrospective study was performed in our clinical practice during July 2020 on patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 via polymerase chain reaction. All patients were categorized into 3 groups (supertasters, tasters, and nontasters) via taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide, thiourea, and sodium benzoate with taste strip testing. The results of the taste strip tests were correlated with clinical course.
resultsA total of 100 patients (mean, 51 [range, 24-82] years of age; 44 [44%] women) were assessed. We found that 21 of 100 (21%) were nontasters, 79 of 100 (79%) were tasters, and 0 of 100 (0%) were supertasters (p < 0.001). Twenty-one of 21 (100%) (p < 0.001) of the patients requiring inpatient admission were classified as nontasters. All 79 (100%) (p < 0.001) of the patients who displayed mild to moderate symptoms not requiring admission were classified as tasters.
conclusionOur results show objective data that taste disturbance, specifically global loss of taste, appears to correlate with the clinical course specific to each individual, because 100% of the patients requiring inpatient admission were classified as nontasters.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.