Hashimoto’s thyroiditis as an autoimmune disorder

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune thyroid disease that causes morphological and functional changes when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. Genetic predisposition, loss of immunological tolerance, and various environmental factors contribute to its development. The pathogenesis involves a breakdown of self-tolerance, enhanced antigen presentation, T and B lymphocyte activation, autoantibody production, and cytokine-mediated thyroid tissue damage. Thyroid destruction may follow apoptotic processes as a potential outcome. This review highlights epidemiology, risk factors, genetics, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods, epigenetic mechanisms, and recent therapeutic advances.