Increased Familial Clustering of Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases

Data regarding familial prevalence and recurrence risk ratio of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) in Germany are lacking. The data from 179 German families of AITD patients encompassing 1 229 relatives were collected using standardized clinical and laboratory diagnostic criteria. Of this large collective, 86 AITD index cases with their 139 children and 106 AITD index cases with their 157 siblings were included. The familial prevalence was estimated by the recurrence risk ratio. This quotient indicates whether first degree relatives display an increased risk for developing AITD, compared with the general population. AITD were present in 14 of children and 15 of siblings of patients with AIT…