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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2022; 26(04): e533-e537
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1755311
Original Research

Relation between Vitamin B12 Levels and Smell Affection in COVID-19 Patients

Autoren

  • Osama A. Elsayad 

    1   Benha University Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University Faculty of Medicine, Tanta, Egypt

  • Said Mohammed Abdou

    1   Benha University Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University Faculty of Medicine, Tanta, Egypt
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Abstract

Introduction Olfactory and gustative alterations are frequent in the initial stages of the COVID-19 infection. Vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to olfactory dysfunction.

Objective The present study aimed to assess the relationship between vitamin B12 levels and smell affection in COVID-19 patients.

Methods The present study included 201 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. Smell affection was assessed using self-rated olfactory function. Serum vitamin B12 levels were assessed using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.

Results According to the smell function assessment, the patients were classified into three categories: normal osmesis (n = 77), hyposmia (n = 49), and anosmia (n = 75) ([Fig. 1]). Four weeks later, 195 patients (97.0%) had their normal smell function restored. The remainder 6 patients included 4 anosmic and 2 hyposmic patients. Patients with hyposmia or anosmia had significantly lower vitamin B12 levels when compared with patients with normal osmesis (median [IQR]: 363.0 [198.0–539.0] versus 337.0 [175.0–467.0] and 491.0 [364.5–584.5] pg/ml, respectively, p < 0.001).

Conclusion Vitamin B12 appears to have some contribution to smell affection in patients with COVID-19 infection.

Keywords

COVID-19 - vitamin B12 - olfactory dysfunction


Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 09. Oktober 2021

Angenommen: 28. Juni 2022

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. November 2022

© 2022. Fundação Otorrinolaringologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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