Possibility of measuring serum taurine level as an early marker in the prognosis of thyroid disorders, especially thyroid cancer

People's awareness of thyroid diseases has gradually grown along with the gradual rise in thyroid cancer incidence. Thyroid dysfunction imposes a significant psychological burden on those who are diagnosed, as it affects most physiological processes. At the moment, ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration cytology are the primary methods used to diagnose thyroid cancer. There are still certain thyroid nodules that cannot be accurately and adequately classified as benign or malignant prior to surgery. Consequentially, we suggested using a more sensitive biomarker to diagnose thyroid cancer. Taurine is measured in the plasma of 60 patients from the National Cancer Institute and 10 healthy volunteers. After a full clinical examination, 20 patients were diagnosed with goitres, 20 with benign tumours, and 20 with malignant tumours. The results showed non-significant (P > 0.05) changes in the levels of TSH in all patients except in the goitre group (P < 0.001). Serum taurine levels exhibited values that significantly differed from normal (P< 0.05) for goitre and benign tumours and (P < 0.001) for malignant tumours. In conclusion, it would appear that taurine can be used as a sensitive biomarker in the early prognosis of thyroid cancer.