Polyglandular autoimmune syndromes

Abstract

One of the basic caveats in endocrinology is that glandular abnormalities tend to occur together. Continued suspicion of other glandular hypofunction should be maintained in following patients with any type of endocrine gland hypofunction, since the risk of multiple glandular involvement is significant. Family members should be alerted to the high prevalence of endocrinopathies especially among first-degree relatives of patients with polyglandular autoimmune disease. Parameters such as antiorgan antibodies, although occasionally helpful, have not been shown to be consistently useful in predicting the future development of clinical organ-specific autoimmune disease. HLA typing remains a research tool at this time, as does evaluation of humoral and cell-mediated immunity.