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Figure 1 | Journal of Autoimmune Diseases

Figure 1

From: Immunogenetics of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Figure 1

Possible pathogenic mechanism of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Genetically predisposed individuals could be influenced by an environmental trigger (i.e., dietary iodine, infection, pregnancy, cytokine therapy) that induces an autoimmune response against thyroid-specific antigens by infiltrating immune cells. The autoimmune process results in preferential T helper type 1 (TH1)-mediated immune response and induction of apoptosis of thyroid cells that leads to hypothyroidism.

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