Exploring the Role of the TAS2R16 Protein and Its Single Nucleotide Variants in Pituitary Adenoma Development.

Background: Pituitary adenoma (PA) is a common benign tumor that develops in the pituitary gland, causing hormonal imbalances and potential health issues. The gene codes for a taste receptor and is involved in bitter taste perception, but there is currently no known direct link between this gene and pituitary adenoma.

Methods: This study included 221 healthy controls and 131 patients with pituitary adenoma (PA) from the Lithuanian population. DNA was isolated from peripheral venous blood using the salt precipitation method. Genotyping was performed via RT-PCR. Statistical analysis was conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0 software, incorporating the Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons.

Results: This study found that the rs978739 C allele is less common in the non-invasive PA group compared to the control group ( = 0.045). The rs860170 CT genotype reduces the likelihood of developing non-invasive PA by 1.9-fold under the codominant ( = 0.024) and overdominant ( = 0.030) models. The odds of developing non-invasive PA are reduced by 2-fold under the dominant ( = 0.021) model for rs860170 CT + CC genotypes and by 2-fold under the additive ( = 0.018) model for each rs860170 C allele. The PA group had higher serum levels of TAS2R16 than the control group ( < 0.001). The present study found that patients with the rs978739 TT or CT genotype had higher serum TAS2R16 levels and protein concentrations than healthy individuals ( = 0.025 and = 0.019, respectively), and those with the AA or AG genotype of rs1357949 had higher protein concentrations ( = 0.005 and = 0.007, respectively).

Conclusions: The rs978739 C allele was less common in the non-invasive PA group compared to the control group, while the rs860170 CT genotype was linked to a reduced likelihood of developing non-invasive PA. Additionally, the PA group showed higher serum levels of TAS2R16, and increased serum protein concentrations were observed in PA patients with specific variants.