Current and Emerging Treatment Options in Sinus and Nasal Diseases: A Promising Future in the Appropriate Therapies

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) in the Treatment of Long COVID Olfactory Disorders: A Comprehensive Review

Background: Long COVID has brought numerous challenges to healthcare, with olfactory dysfunction (OD) being a particularly distressing outcome for many patients. The persistent loss of smell significantly diminishes the affected individual's quality of life. Recent attention has been drawn to the potential of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy as a treatment for OD. This comprehensive review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PRP therapy in ameliorating OD, especially when associated with long-term COVID-19. Methods: We executed a comprehensive search of the literature, encompassing clinical trials and observational studies that utilized PRP in treating OD limited to COVID-19. We retrieved and comprehensively discussed data such as design, participant demographics, and reported outcomes, focusing on the efficacy and safety of PRP therapy for OD in COVID-19 patients. Results: Our comprehensive analysis interestingly found promising perspectives for PRP in OD following COVID-19 infection. The collective data indicate that PRP therapy contributed to a significant improvement in olfactory function after COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: The evidence amassed suggests that PRP is a promising and safe therapeutic option for OD, including cases attributable to Long COVID-19. The observed uniform enhancement of olfactory function in patients receiving PRP highlights the necessity for well-designed, controlled trials. Such studies would help to refine treatment protocols and more definitively ascertain the efficacy of PRP in a broader, more varied patient cohort.

Therapeutic efficacy of omalizumab in children with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma combined with chronic sinusitis

Background

Omalizumab has been approved for treating moderate-to-severe asthma in children aged over 6 years. Its application to asthmatic children with other allergic diseases has been rarely explored. The present study aims to explore the therapeutic efficacy of omalizumab in children with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma combined with chronic sinusitis.

Methods

The clinical data of children diagnosed with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma combined with chronic sinusitis and treated with omalizumab between September 2020 and April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Lung function indexes such as Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) scores, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) percent predicted (FEV1%pred), small airway function indexes, and the clinical symptoms of chronic sinusitis were analyzed.

Results

A total of 26 children were observed for 16 weeks. After 16 weeks of omalizumab treatment, the significantly increased C-ACT scores (15.57 ± 3.25 points vs. 24.98 ± 5.21 points, F = 15.7112, P < 0.001) and decreased FeNO (31.55 ± 15.57 ppb vs. 19.86 ± 9.80 ppb, F = 4.4265, P = 0.0022), compared with those at baseline, were suggestive of well-controlled symptoms of asthma and improved lung function. FEV1%pred and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (the ratio of the forced expiratory volume in the first 1 s to the forced vital capacity) increased after omalizumab treatment, although no significant differences were detected (P = 0.9954 and 0.9382, respectively). Peak expiratory flow (PEF) percent predicted (PEF%pred) and forced expiratory flow at 75% of FVC (FEF75%), 50% of FVC (FEF50%), and 25%-75% of FVC (FEF25%-75%) significantly increased after omalizumab treatment (P = 0.0477, <0.001, <0.001, and <0.001, respectively). Visual analog scale scores significantly decreased after omalizumab treatment (6.40 ± 2.98 points vs. 0.85 ± 0.40 points, t = 27.2419, P < 0.001), suggesting alleviation in the clinical symptoms of chronic sinusitis.

Conclusion

In this study, it was found that omalizumab can effectively alleviate clinical symptoms and improve lung function and quality of life in children with moderate-to-severe allergic asthma combined with chronic sinusitis.