The Relevance of Genetic Susceptibility in Graves' Disease and Immune Thyroiditis

H. Schleusener; U. Bogner; H. Peters; P. Kotulla; D. Schmieg; A. Grüters; W. R. Mayr

doi:10.1055/s-0029-1211051

Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes, Inhaltsverzeichnis

Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1991; 97(2/03): 127-132
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1211051

Original

The Relevance of Genetic Susceptibility in Graves' Disease and Immune Thyroiditis

H. Schleusener¹ , U. Bogner¹ , H. Peters¹ , P. Kotulla¹ , D. Schmieg¹ , A. Grüters² , W. R. Mayr³

¹Department of Endocrinology, Medical Clinic, Klinikum Steglitz, Aachen/Germany
²Children's Hospital, Free University of Berlin, Aachen/Germany
³Department of Transfusion Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH; Aachen/Germany

Abstract

als PDF herunterladen

Summary

It has been known for a long time that there is an increased incidence of Graves' disease and immune thyroiditis in certain families. Genetic research of this disease has shown that it is most probably transmitted in a multifactorial way, i.e. that environmental as well as genetic factors play a role in the genesis of the diseases.

This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the rate of concordance is maximally 50% in identical twins. The following model of threshold values is conceivable for the formal genetics of Graves' disease and immune thyroiditis: the diseases break out whenever the sum of environmental (viruses, bacteria, iodine excess, hormones, stress) and genetic (MHC and non MHC-restricted) factors is higher than a given threshold. One of the major genes influencing the genesis of the diseases seems to be HLA-DR3 (or a closely linked gene in strong linkage disequilibrium). If this gene is present, fewer environmental factors are possibly needed.

PDF (90 kb)