Endocrine Abstracts

Genetic predisposition to autoimmunity is probably predominant. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles and non-MHC loci such as polymorphism of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA4) gene have been identified as susceptibility markers. The autoimmune thyroid diseases are the most common organ-specific autoimmune diseases. They are characterized by the infiltration of the parenchyma by immune cells including T and B cells as well as macrophages. Ones a T cell is a...