Hashimoto<sup>56 Hashimoto H. Zur Kenntniss der lymphomatosen Veranderung der Schilddruse (Struma lymphomatosa) Arch Klin Chir 1912 ;  97 : 219

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> described dense lymphoid infiltration causing goiter and hypothyroidism in 1912; however, it was not until 1956 that autoantibodies, that is, antithyroglobulin antibodies (anti-Tg), were detected in this condition,<sup>115 Roitt I.M., Doniach D., Campbell P.N. , e al. Autoantibodies in Hashimoto's disease (lymphadenoid goitre) Lancet 1956 ;  2 : 820  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> leading to the novel concept that diseases could be caused by an autoimmune process. Evidence for a serum thyroid-stimulating factor was presented in the same year,<sup>1 Adams D.D., Purves H.D. Abnormal responses in the assay of thyrotropin Proc Univ Otago Med Sch 1956 ;  34 : 11

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> a substance later shown to be antibodies to the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor.<sup>73 Kriss J.P., Pleshakov V., Chien J.R. Isolation and identification of the long-acting thyroid stimulator and its relation to hyperthyroidism and circumscribed pretibial myxedema J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1964 ;  24 : 1005  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> The discovery of antibodies to the thyroid microsomal antigen followed in 1964,<sup>116 Roitt I.M., Ling N.R., Doniach D. , e al. The cytoplasmic auto-antigen of human thyroid: Immunological and biochemical considerations Immunology 1964 ; 375

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> a substance later recognized as thyroid peroxidase (TPO). Since then, several other antigenic targets in the thyroid have been proposed, the most consistent of which have been the rare finding of anti–thyroid hormone autoantibodies<sup>114 Robbins J., Rall J., Rawson R. An unusual instance of thyroxine binding by human serum gamma globulin J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1956 ;  16 : 573

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> and the recent recognition of the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) as an autoantigenic target.<sup>37 Endo T., Kogai T., Nakazato M. , e al. Autoantibody against Na+/I− symporter in the sera of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1996 ;  224 : 92  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup>

Commercial assays to measure anti-Tg, anti-TPO, and anti–TSH receptor antibodies are now available. Widespread application of these tests has identified autoimmune thyroid disease as the most common autoimmune condition, with approximately 2% of women and 0.2% of men affected at the clinical level.<sup>134 Tunbridge W.M., Evered D.C., Hall R. The spectrum of thyroid disease in a community: The Whickham survey Clin Endocrinol 1977 ;  7 : 481  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> The prevalence of subclinical disease is now known to be tenfold higher.<sup>139 Weetman A.P. New aspects of thyroid immunity Horm Res 1997 ;  48 (suppl 4) : 51  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> This article reviews the immunobiology of thyroid autoantibodies and the available detection techniques and discusses current indications for thyroid autoantibody testing in clinical practice.