The association of goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis with HLA-DR5.

We found HLA-DR5 to be present among 53% of 40 patients with goitrous autoimmune (Hashimoto's ) thyroiditis compared to 26% of 80 controls. No deviations from those expected in the incidences of HLA-A, B, C antigens were seen. In contrast HLA-DR3 was increased among 50 patients with atrophic thyroiditis (65%) compared to controls (24%). These findings stress the immunogenetic heterogeneity between the goitrous and atrophic varieties of thyroiditis.