Susceptibility Genes in Thyroid Autoimmunity
The autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) are complex diseases which are caused by an interaction between susceptibility genes and environmental triggers. Genetic susceptibility in combination with external factors (e.g. dietary iodine) is believed to initiate the...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2005-01-01
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| Series: | Clinical and Developmental Immunology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17402520400008897 |
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| Summary: | The autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) are complex diseases which are
caused by an interaction between susceptibility genes and environmental
triggers. Genetic susceptibility in combination with external factors (e.g. dietary
iodine) is believed to initiate the autoimmune response to thyroid antigens.
Abundant epidemiological data, including family and twin studies, point to
a strong genetic influence on the development of AITD. Various techniques have
been employed to identify the genes contributing to the etiology of AITD, including
candidate gene analysis and whole genome screening. These studies have
enabled the identification of several loci (genetic regions) that are linked with
AITD, and in some of these loci, putative AITD susceptibility genes have been
identified. Some of these genes/loci are unique to Graves' disease (GD) and
Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and some are common to both the diseases, indicating
that there is a shared genetic susceptibility to GD and HT. The putative GD and HT
susceptibility genes include both immune modifying genes (e.g. HLA, CTLA-4) and
thyroid specific genes (e.g. TSHR, Tg). Most likely,
these loci interact and their interactions may influence disease phenotype and severity. |
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| ISSN: | 1740-2522 1740-2530 |