Study of the Pathogenesis of Olfactory Disorders in COVID-19 (COVIDSMELL)

Pasteur Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sars-CoV2; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Coronavirus Infection

Treatments: Other: Taste and olfactory function evaluation; Other: Nasal swab

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Industry; Other

Identifiers

NCT04366934

2020-021

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is a case-control study to characterize the molecular and cellular anomalies of the olfactory epithelium of COVID-19 patients with isolated anosmia, by comparison with the olfactory epithelium of non-infected subjects.

Full description

Olfactory and taste dysfunctions are common and early onset in COVID-19, especially in pauci symptomatic patients, and may be the main clinical manifestations of the infection. Olfactory dysfunction could result from infection of the olfactory system by SARS-CoV-2 or from inflammation induced by the virus. While the recent development of COVID-19 pulmonary lesion research has revealed a viral, inflammatory and vascular origin, factors that cause olfactory disorders in COVID-19 are just beginning.

Acute anosmia observed in some patients with COVID-19 could result from:

• the direct infection of olfactory sensory neurons or neural stem cells of the olfactory mucosa,
• an underlying inflammation of the olfactory mucosa, leading to possible neurodegeneration of olfactory sensory neurons, and neural stem cells of the olfactory mucosa, by analogy with the respiratory viruses responsible for chronic rhinosinusitis.

It is therefore necessary to conduct a virological, cellular, immunological and inflammatory study of the olfactory epithelium from COVID-19 patients with isolated anosmia to identify the origin of these olfactory disorders.

This study is a case-control study to characterize the molecular and cellular anomalies of the olfactory epithelium of COVID-19 patients with isolated anosmia, by comparison with the olfactory epithelium of non-infected subjects.

Following measures will be performed at inclusion :

• Taste and olfactory function evaluation by a self-questionnaire taste and smell survey (TTS) and a visual analogue scale (VAS)
• Nasal swab sampling for collection of epithelium cells and olfactory mucus.

Enrollment: 26 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

COVID-19 patients

• Age > 18 years
• Subject consulting in the context of the COVID-19 screening care for a suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection

Controls

• Age > 18 years
• Subject consulting in the ear, nose and throat department with no biologically confirmed COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 in the past 8 weeks, and no symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or another respiratory disease and therefore no recent anosmia or ageusia

Exclusion Criteria (both COVID-19 patients and controls):

• Refusal or contraindication to nasal swab
• Presence of nasal sinus pathology

Trial design

26 participants in 2 patient groups

COVID-19 patients

Description:

Subject consulting in the Lariboisière hospital (Paris) in the context of the COVID-19 screening care for a suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection

Treatment:

Other: Taste and olfactory function evaluation

Other: Nasal swab

Control subjects

Description:

Subject consulting in the ear, nose and throat department at the Lariboisière hospital (Paris) with no biologically confirmed COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 in the past 8 weeks, and no symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or another respiratory disease and therefore no recent anosmia or ageusia

Treatment:

Other: Taste and olfactory function evaluation

Other: Nasal swab