ABSTRACT
A substantial body of evidence has accumulated which indicates that Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis are probably closely related immunologic disorders. With the exception of several distinct thyroid disorders whose pathogenesis have been defined, the etiology of most forms of thyroid disease is still unclear. Initially in 1974, Bech et al. in Denmark reported that patients with thyroid disease have a high prevalence of antibodies to Y. enterocolitica, serotype O:3. In order to determine whether the presence of antibodies to Yersinia in patients with thyroid disease is unique to Scandinavia or also occurs in the United States. Lidman et al. suggested the presence of cross-reacting antigens in Y. enterocolitica and antigens in thyroid epithelial cells. The prevalence of Y. enterocolitica infections as determined culturally and serologically is low in Israel and in a recent study was 0.1% in symptomatic patients.
