The genetics of Hashimoto's disease

The prototype of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an inflammatory disorder of the thyroid gland characterized by enlargement of the thyroid, lymphocytic infiltration, varying degrees of thyroid hypofunction, and circulating antibodies to thyroid antigens. Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by abnormal-humoral and cellular-immune response to the thyroid gland. The observation that patients' relatives comparatively are more likely to have the disorder indicates a genetic predisposition to the disease, an observation supported by studies of spontaneous and experimental animal models. A number of candidate genes have been studied as predisposing factors. This article reviews the evidence for a genetic component in the cause of the disease and summarizes the state of current knowledge about the involved genes.