DETERMINATION OF IODINE AND BROMINE IN THE HUMAN THYROID GLAND BY NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
The measurements of iodine and bromine concentrations in the thyroid specimens and the sera, obtained from the patients with various thyroid disorders, were taken by neutron activation analysis following a rapid ion-exchange radiochemical separation of induced 24Na in the irradiated samples. Among the patients, 5 cases of nodular goiter, 5 cases of thyroid carcinoma and 5 cases of thyrotoxicosis were included. The iodine concentrations in the diseased thyroid tissues were found to be lower than those of the corresponding "normal" tissues. The iodine levels in the sera were too low to be measured accurately by the present method. The bromine concentrations in the diseased tissues did not differ significantly from those of the "normal" tissues. The concentrations of bromine in the diseased tissues were less than the levels in the sera, while the bromine levels in the "normal" tissues were virtually equal to those of the sera. The iodine and bromine contents per mg of phosphorus or nitrogen in the thyroid tissues were also investigated.
