Antithyroid antibodies attack the thyroid gland, causing reduced thyroid function and autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease. B lymphocytes generate antibodies that can become autoantibodies and attack proteins in the body, including those in the thyroid gland. The reasons for this dysfunction are not well understood.
Thyroid antibodies are a type of antibody produced by the immune system of people with a specific type of autoimmune disease. As a result of the production of antithyroid antibodies, the immune system attacks the cells of the thyroid gland, leading to reduced thyroid function and hypothyroidism. Some autoimmune diseases can cause these types of antibodies to develop.
Bursa-dependent lymphocytes, commonly called B lymphocytes, are cells of the immune system that generate protein molecules called antibodies. These proteins are specifically targeted to bind to foreign proteins such as those of bacteria and viruses. The attachment of antibodies to proteins on bacteria or viruses makes pathogens vulnerable to destruction by other cells of the immune system.
In a healthy immune system, B lymphocytes generate antibodies specific only to foreign cells. Sometimes, however, the immune system becomes dysfunctional such that B lymphocytes generate antibodies against proteins in the body. These antibodies are called autoantibodies. In theory, almost any protein in the body can be targeted by autoantibodies. In practice, some proteins tend to become targets more frequently than others.
The reasons why the immune system becomes dysfunctional in this way are not well understood. One possibility is that it occurs as a result of an immune response to a pathogen. This theory suggests that some of the proteins in the pathogen resemble certain proteins in the body enough that the antibodies generated to fight the pathogen against the proteins in the body also react. After the infection is over, the immune system may be activated to attack the body’s proteins.
Some thyroid gland proteins are included in this category. The thyroid is a small gland located in front of the windpipe that produces hormones that regulate metabolism. Antithyroid antibodies tend to interfere heavily with thyroid function, sometimes causing conditions called hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland becomes overactive, causing symptoms such as unintentional weight loss, rapid heartbeat, tremors, anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue. Hypothyroidism reduces thyroid activity, causing weight gain, fatigue, cold intolerance, hair loss, dry skin, and constipation.
There are some specific autoimmune diseases caused by antithyroid antibodies. These are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a type of chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland, is a common cause of hypothyroidism. Graves’ disease causes hyperthyroidism and is the most common cause of an overactive thyroid gland. These autoimmune thyroid disorders are diagnosed using tests designed to detect levels of antithyroid antibodies in the blood.
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