Olfactory Bulb Volume and Morphology Changes in COVID-19 Patients With Olfactory Disorders Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study are to explore the morphological changes of olfactory bulb (OB) and olfactory sulcus in COVID-19 patients with associated olfactory dysfunction (OD) by measuring the OB volume (OBV) and olfactory sulcus depth (OSD) and to compare the measurement values with those of healthy individuals.

METHODS

Between March 2020 and January 2022, 31 consecutive hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 with anosmia and hyposmia who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging and 35 normosmic control individuals were retrospectively included in the study. Bilateral OBV and OSD were measured and shape of the OB was determined based on the consensus by a neuroradiologist and an otorrhynolaryngologist.

RESULTS

The mean measurements for the right and the left sides for OBV (38 ± 8.5 and 37.1 ± 8.4, respectively) and OSD (7.4 ± 0.1 and 7.4 ± 1.0 mm, respectively) were significantly lower in COVID-19 patients with OD than those in control group (for the right and the left sides mean OBV 56.3 ± 17.1 and 49.1 ± 13.5, respectively, and mean OSD 9.6 ± 0.8 and 9.4 ± 0.8 mm, respectively). Abnormally shaped OB (lobulated, rectangular, or atrophic) were higher in patient group than those of controls.For the optimal cutoff values, OBV showed sensitivity and specificity values of 90.32% and, 57.14%, for the right, and 87.1% and 62.86% for the left side, respectively (area under the curve, 0.819 and 0.780). Olfactory sulcus depth showed sensitivity and specificity values of 90.32% and 94.29%, for the right, and 96.77% and 85.71%, for the left side, respectively (area under the curve, 0.960 and 0.944).

CONCLUSIONS

Decrease in OBV and OSD measurements in COVID-19 patients with OD at the early chronic stage of the disease supports direct damage to olfactory neuronal pathways and may be used to monitor olfactory nerve renewal while returning back to normal function.

Basal Serum Neurokinin B Levels in Differentiating Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty from Premature Thelarche

OBJECTIVE

To find out the diagnostic role of kisspeptin and neurokinin B in idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) and premature thelarche (PT).

METHODS

The girls who presented with early breast development before the age of 8 years were evaluated. Patients with intracranial pathologies were excluded. Basal and stimulated follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and basal neurokinin B/kisspeptin levels were measured. Patients who had peak value of LH >5 mIU/mL and a bone age (BA)/chronological age (CA) ratio >1.1 were diagnosed as central precocious puberty (CPP), while cases who did not meet these criteria were diagnosed as PT. Healthy age-matched prepubertal girls were included as the control group.

RESULTS

The study group contained 25 girls with ICPP (7±0.8 years), 35 girls with PT (6.8±0.7 years), and 30 controls (6.7±0.7 years). Basal serum kisspeptin and neurokinin B levels were 2.36±0.47 ng/mL and 2.61±0.32 ng/mL, respectively in the ICPP group, 2.23±0.43 ng/mL and 2.24±0.23 ng/mL, respectively in the PT group, and 1.92±0.33 ng/mL and 2.03±0.24 ng/mL, respectively in the controls. Both kisspeptin and neurokinin B levels were higher in the ICPP and PT groups compared to controls (p<0.05). Moreover, basal neurokinin B level was different between ICPP and PT groups (p<0.01). A serum neurokinin B level of 2.42 ng/mL provided the most appropriate level to differentiate ICPP from PT, with a sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 77.1%.

CONCLUSION

Differentiation of CPP from PT is sometime difficult, and there is a need for a simple method for the differential diagnosis. Our results suggest that basal serum neurokinin B level can be used as an adjunctive parameter to differentiate ICCP from PT.

Investigation of biological effects of some Mannich Bases containing Bis-1,2,4- Triazole

In this study, the effects of Mannich bases containing bis-1,2,4-triazole on the levels of in vivo malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant vitamins (A, E, C) were examined in serum, livers and kidneys of rats. DA and vitamin (A, E, C) levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Antioxidant effect was investigated by determining the MDA levels in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells as in vitro. Furthermore, the antitumor effects of compounds were investigated against MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Interrelations of results among control and compound groups were evaluated using SPSS statistical software package. As a result, some of the compounds showed effective biological activity when compared to control conditions. The test compounds used in this study may be effective for utilization in the selection and design of model compounds for further studies.