Molecular epidemiology of autoimmune thyroid disease

This paper presents preliminary data regarding the prevalence and risk factors for autoimmune thyroid disease in IDDM probands ascertained from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh IDDM Registry for 1950-1965 (n = 669). Living IDDM probands who participated in the 1990 follow-up survey (n = 380) were recruited for the Familial Autoimmune and Diabetes Study. Siblings and parents were also invited to participate. To date, 255 IDDM probands and 597 parents and siblings have been evaluated. The diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease was based on a clinical evaluation, medical history, and laboratory determinations. Graves disease was rare in this cohort (n = 5). However, Hashimoto's thyroiditis was common among women. Prevalence rates ranged from 54% for IDDM women age < 40 years to 75% for those > 50 years. Corresponding age-specific estimates for female relatives were 22% and 44%, respectively. Approximately one-half of the Hashimoto's individuals were euthyroid; they were more likely to have other autoantibodies and a positive family history than those who were hypothyroid or had no thyroid disease. Genetic analyses revealed a 2-fold increase in DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 among the Hashimoto's compared to the non-Hashimoto's haplotypes. These findings suggested that Hashimoto's thyroiditis was common in IDDM families, which may be due, in part, to common disease susceptibility genes.