Characteristic changes of saliva and taste in burning mouth syndrome patients.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by chronic pain with a burning sensation of the tongue and oral mucosa and reported to be often accompanied by subjective xerostomia and dysgeusia. Since the etiology of BMS has not been elucidated, to understand the characteristics of BMS, we measured some components of saliva and taste sensitivity and compared the measured values between BMS and healthy subjects. METHODS: Unstimulated saliva was collected from 15 female BMS patients and 30 healthy women. The flow rate, viscosity (spinnability) and concentration of secretory IgA (SIgA) of saliva and serum antioxidant capacity were measured. The recognition thresholds for sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami tastes were measured by whole-mouth method. The statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test, and P < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: In BMS group, the flow rate of saliva was significantly lower and the spinnability was significantly higher compared with healthy group. The secreted amount of SIgA per min and serum antioxidant capacity was significantly lower in the patients. The threshold for sourness in patients was significantly higher, while those for other tastes did not differ from healthy group. CONCLUSIONS: BMS patients showed lower salivary flow and higher salivary spinnability. These results together with decreased SIgA amount, suggest that BMS may be relevant to the deterioration of salivary condition, which could in turn affect taste function. Furthermore, the lower antioxidant capacity in patient's serum suggests that it can serve as a diagnostic tool for BMS.

Examination of pain relief effect of Goreisan for glossodynia.

BACKGROUND: Pain in glossodynia may be severe; it may prevent patients from working, interfere with daily life activities, and necessitate a patient's visit to a medical institution for consultation and treatment. The pain may be described as persistent and burning (tingling, tingling) or stinging. Patients may complain of dry mouth (dryness), which is thought to cause inflammation of the tongue and gingival mucous membranes and increased pain. Medications are prescribed based on the symptoms of glossodynia, and the therapeutic effect is confirmed. However, each drug has side effects, for example, pain may reduce, but drowsiness and dizziness may occur; further, there is always a tendency of drowsiness.On the other hand, Goreisan, a Chinese herbal medicine, has already been used by physicians to treat pain in the oral and maxillofacial regions resulting from rapid changes in air pressure. However, the lack of high-quality clinical research has been of concern, and a randomized clinical trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of Goreisan for treatment of pain in glossodynia is warranted. METHODS/DESIGN: This multicenter, randomized, controlled study will involve patients treated for glossodynia-related pain. In the experimental group, Goreisan will be taken for 12 weeks in combination with conventional treatment. Participants in the control group will not take any Kampo medicine; only the standard treatment will be taken. Subsequently, the degree of pain will be assessed, and saliva tests of all the patients on their first visit will be performed. Goreisan will be taken at a dose of 7.5 g/d (minute 3) for 12 consecutive weeks. Twelve weeks later, the degree of pain of each patient will be assessed. DISCUSSION: The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of Goreisan for pain reduction in patients undergoing treatment for glossodynia-related pain. If pain in glossodynia patients can be reduced by the administration of Goreisan, its candidacy as an alternative treatment for pain in glossodynia can be further supported by more reliable research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in the jRCTs071200017. URL https://jrct.niph.go.jp/latest-detail/jRCTs071200017.