[Autoimmune thyroiditis--an infectious disease?].

The aim was to review existing evidence of a possible role of infectious agents in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease. Autoimmune thyroid disease is a polygenic, multifactorial disease in which genetically susceptible individuals are exposed to an environmental insult resulting in immune system activation. Different viruses (influenza B, rubella, retrovirus) have been associated with thyroiditis, but no single agent appears to be causative. There is no firm evidence of infection being an important trigger of autoimmune thyroid disease, and it has not been possible to isolate a microorganism neither by culture nor by molecular identification. Infection may be a precipitating factor in the development of autoimmune thyroid disease.