ESPE Abstracts

Background: The pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases depends on many factors including genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are associated with an impaired immunological tolerance to antigen molecules in the thyroid gland. Abnormal immunotolerance results from impaired suppression involving regulatory T cells in peripheral immunocompetent tissues (Tregs). It is known that patients with a...