The literature on thyroid autoimmunity has identified many potential factors at play for the
initiation and progression of autoimmune thyroid diseases. These factors include genetic
susceptibility, environmental factors, some drugs, iodine and selenium, infection, molecular
mimics, and immune system defects. The sheer number of feasible factors makes sorting out
the necessary agents from the fellow travelers difficult. In addition, many of these factors
have the capability to interact—further confusing the picture. Another difficulty in interpreting …