Z Baj 1 , T Ferenc , A Lewiński
1. Zakład Patofizjologii, Genetyki Medycznej Katedry Nauk PatofizjologicznychWojskowej Akademii Medycznej w Lodzi.
Published:
GICID: 01.3001.0000.3149
Available language versions: en pl
Issue: Postepy Hig Med Dosw 1997; 51 (5)
Abstract
The pathogenesis Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder, is not fully understood. Immune disturbances, genetic predisposition and environmental factors, affecting thyroid gland, appear to play the main role in contribution and development of the disease. Autoreactive T lymphocyte infiltrates in the thyroid gland and/or in the retroorbital tissues and autoantibodies to TSH receptor detected in almost all of the patients, have been considered to be responsible for hyperthyroidism, ophthalmopathy, pretibial dermopathy and goiter. In this review, we describe some recent reports on the pathophysiological and immunological aspects of the thyroidal and extrathyroidal manifestations of the Graves’ disease.