Animal Models of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Abstract

Autoimmune thyroid disease includes Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis; the former is characterized by hyperthyroidism induced by agonistic antithyrotropin receptor (TSHR,), whereas the latter by hypothyroidism mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes against thyroglobulin and/or thyroid peroxidase and cytokine-induced thyroid cell apoptosis. Animal models of autoimmune thyroid diseases, including spontaneous and inducible models of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and inducible models of Graves' hyperthyroidism, have an approximately 50-year history. Extensive studies with these models have provided us insights into the numerous aspects of the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases, for example, (1) the genetic and environmental factors affecting disease development, (2) characterization of lymphocyte subsets involved in the disease pathogenesis, and (3) significance of peripheral and central tolerance to thyroid autoimmunity. Thus, animal models have substantially contributed to accumulating numerous novel findings on the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases and to updating of our current understanding of the etiology of these diseases.