The research group of Hui Jin and Hisashi Arase (Immunochemistry, IFReC/RIMD, Osaka University) found that autoantibodies in patients with Graves' disease preferentially recognize TSHRs complexed with MHC class II molecules of Graves' disease risk alleles.
Figure:
Autoimmune tolerance is maintained against normal TSHRs. However, if MHC class II molecules are abnormally expressed, TSHRs are deformed and their antigenicity changes. As a result, autoimmune tolerance is disrupted and thyroid-stimulating autoantibodies are produced.
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