Autoimmune thyroid diseases and genetic factors

The autoimmune thyroid condition with the highest prevalence is Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), including Graves’ disease (GD) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, arise due to complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Each is presenting with distinct clinical features. Significant progress has been made in our understanding of the mechanisms leading to AITD. Because of the complex nature of AITD, caused by their polygenic nature and a complex mode of inheritance, there are still more questions to be answered than answers that can be given, especially about the nature of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. One of the cornerstones to understanding illness pathophysiology and creating better treatments is figuring out the genetic component of AITD. Common HT and GD genes have been identified, as well as genes that are characteristic of only one of those diseases.