Immunologic Aspects of Endocrine Diseases
- Gildon N. Beall, MD
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
Excerpt
ENDOCRINE organs seem predisposed to autoimmunity. This is particularly true for the thyroid gland, in which most of the common diseases are caused by immune mechanisms.1-3 The evidence for participation of immune mechanisms in endocrine diseases is based on many observations. Organspecific antibodies or cell-mediated immune processes have often been found. The affected organ often contains lymphocytes that are suspected, and in some instances proved, to have the ability to synthesize autoantibody or damage tissue. A marked overlap of diseases and serological markers has been found both in individuals and in families. This evidence of genetic predisposition has been further underscored by the tendency for certain HLA haplotypes to be overrepresented in diseased individuals. Many of the diseases are more common in women than in men.
Table 15-1 contains a list of endocrine diseases or syndromes that have been defined clearly enough for discussion in this chapter.
