• Eli Ben-Chetrit, Ami Ben-Ya'acov, Ahmad Quitina, Ohad Atia, Eran Regev, Eyal Shteyer, and Rizan Nashef.
• Infectious Diseases Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Hebrew University School of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
• Int. J. Clin. Pract. 2021 Dec 1; 75 (12): e14996.

PurposeAnosmia and dysgeusia (AD) are common amongst COVID-19 patients. These symptoms are not frequently associated with rhinorrhea or nasal congestion and the underlying mechanism is unclear. Previous reports suggested that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) signalling plays a role in the modulation of olfaction and ageusia. We aimed to assess the correlation between GLP-1 and COVID-19-associated AD.MethodsBlood samples obtained from COVID-19 patients with and without AD were tested for serum GLP-1 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A second control group comprised of COVID-19-negative volunteers.ResultsForty-nine subjects were included in the study. Nineteen were positive for COVID-19. Of the 19 patients, 10 had AD and 9 declined such complaints. Age and basic metabolic rate were similar amongst all study groups. Serum GLP-1 levels were significantly lower amongst patients with AD compared with patients without AD and COVID-19-negative individuals (1820 pg/mL vs 3536 pg/mL vs 3014 pg/mL, respectively, P < .02).ConclusionCOVID-19 patients who reported AD had lower serum levels of GLP-1 compared with those lacking AD symptoms and COVID-19-negative individuals. These results suggest that GLP-1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of AD. However, further larger scale studies should corroborate our findings.© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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