New insights into the cytokine spectrum in Graves' disease using an autoimmune mouse model with hyperthyroidism.

Endocrine orbitopathy (EO) is the most common extra-thyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease, an autoimmune disease mediated by autoantibodies against the TSH receptor. We developed and established an experimental EO mouse model by genetically immunizing BALB/c mice with a plasmid encoding the A subunit of human TSHR. Cytokines seem to have a strong influence on the development of endocrine orbitopathy. The aim was to analyze these in more detail.