The immunogenetics of autoimmune diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease.

Although medical genetics is a well-developed area of interest, relatively little is known about the diseases caused by the combination of many genes. These multiinfluenced diseases include the autoimmune endocrine diseases. Recent advances in the techniques for whole-genome screening have shown a variety of loci that are linked to the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and similar data are likely to be soon generated in autoimmune thyroid disease. Here, the authors survey the current state of genetic knowledge in these two areas and describe the investigative and analytical techniques that are now available. (Trends Endocrinol Metab 1997;8:63-70). (c) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc.