Suivi clinique et biologique d'une famille a'haute prevalence de maladies auto- immunes thyroidiennes

ABSTRACT

We described the clinical and biological follow up of a large "Akr" family of 200 members. This family includes 40 subjects affected with thyroid autoimmune diseases including 18 cases of gravers' disease and 22 cases of Hashimoto's throiditis. The prevalence of thyroid autoimmune diseases in the family studied was enhanced from 16.9% in 1992 to 23.0% at the moment of this study. Tlie diagnosis of thyroid autoimmune diseases was evoked by the thyroid dysfonctionning clinical and biological symptoms. The follow up was based on the hormonal and immunological investigations undertaken by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence techniques. The hummoral immune responses directed against thyroglobulin and thyroperoxidase showed heterogeneous thyroid autoimmune profiles in 40 patients studied. All of the data available showed 15 new cases among the predisposed subjects of the "Akr" family and suggested a polygenic control of the thyroid autoimmune diseases