P.T.C. taste response and thyroid disease

Abstract

The P.T.C. taste threshold was determined in 447 patients with thyroid disease and in a control group of 265 individuals by the eight-glass technique of Harris and Kalmus. In 246 cases of adenomatous goitre, a significantly high incidence of non-tasters (genotype tt) was found, and this was proportionately greater in men (60%) than in women (36.6%). In 133 patients with toxic diffuse goitre a significant excess of tasters was found (genotypes TT, Tt), but without sex difference. The findings suggest that the taster/non-taster genotypes are of importance in determining the type of thyroid disease, and the possible mechanisms are discussed. The distribution of the ABO blood groups and secretor status in multi-adenomatous and toxic diffuse goitre was not found to differ significantly from that of the control group. © 1959, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.