What are the causes of Graves disease?
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease. Healthy people’s immune systems attack pathogens; organisms and substances that are bad for us, such as some bacteria, viruses, parasites, cancer cells and fungi. If the person’s immune system starts attacking good tissue they have an autoimmune disease – the immune system is attacking parts of the person’s body that are needed for good health. Graves’ disease is an example of an autoimmune disease. Experts are not sure why autoimmune diseases, such as Graves’ disease occur. Instead of destroying the thyroid gland, an antibody called thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) makes the thyroid gland produce large amounts of thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system, and is located in the neck, below the Adam’s apple. It produces hormones which help to regulate growth and the rate of chemical reactions by which the body uses energy. The thyroid gland produces thyroxine and triiodothyronine. Thyroxine affects many body systems
