Editing Graves' disease (section)

===Infectious trigger===
Since Graves disease is an autoimmune disease that appears suddenly, often later in life, a [[Virus|viral]] or [[bacteria]]l infection may trigger antibodies, which cross-react with the human TSH receptor, a phenomenon known as [[antigenic mimicry]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Desailloud R, Hober D | title = Viruses and thyroiditis: an update | journal = Virology Journal | volume = 6 | pages = 5 | date = January 2009 | pmid = 19138419 | pmc = 2654877 | doi = 10.1186/1743-422X-6-5 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

The bacterium ''[[Yersinia enterocolitica]]'' bears structural similarity with the human thyrotropin receptor<ref name="EndocrReview1993"/> and was hypothesized to contribute to the development of thyroid autoimmunity arising for other reasons in genetically susceptible individuals.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Toivanen P, Toivanen A | title = Does Yersinia induce autoimmunity? | journal = International Archives of Allergy and Immunology | volume = 104 | issue = 2 | pages = 107–11 | year = 1994 | pmid = 8199453 | doi = 10.1159/000236717 }}</ref>
In the 1990s,  ''Y. enterocolitica'' was suggested to be possibly [[Association (statistics)|associated]] with Graves' disease.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Strieder TG, Wenzel BE, Prummel MF, Tijssen JG, Wiersinga WM | title = Increased prevalence of antibodies to enteropathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica virulence proteins in relatives of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease | journal = Clinical and Experimental Immunology | volume = 132 | issue = 2 | pages = 278–82 | date = May 2003 | pmid = 12699417 | pmc = 1808711 | doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2249.2003.02139.x }}</ref>
More recently, the role for ''Y. enterocolitica'' has been disputed.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Hansen PS, Wenzel BE, Brix TH, Hegedüs L | title = Yersinia enterocolitica infection does not confer an increased risk of thyroid antibodies: evidence from a Danish twin study | journal = Clinical and Experimental Immunology | volume = 146 | issue = 1 | pages = 32–8 | date = October 2006 | pmid = 16968395 | pmc = 1809723 | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2006.03183.x }}</ref>

[[Epstein–Barr virus]] <!-- (EBV) --> is another potential trigger.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Moore |first1=Elaine A. |last2=Moore |first2=Lisa Marie | name-list-style = vanc |title=Advances in Graves' Disease and Other Hyperthyroid Disorders |date=2013 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786471898 |page=77 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0YMoAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA77 |language=en}}</ref>