The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity

Grilli, Laura; Cillo, Francesca; Romano, Roberta; Giardino, Giuliana; Rotondo, Francesca Romana; Vasaturo, Sara; Salerno, Mariacarolina; Capalbo, Donatella

doi:10.3390/children13020169

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The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity

by

Laura Grilli

^1,†,

Francesca Cillo

^1,†,

Roberta Romano

²,

Giuliana Giardino

^1,2,

Francesca Romana Rotondo

³,

Sara Vasaturo

³,

Mariacarolina Salerno

^3,4

and

Donatella Capalbo

^3,4,*

¹

Pediatric Immunology Unit, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy

²

Department of Mother and Child, University Hospital Federico II, ERN-RITA Center for Rare Immundeficiencies, 80138 Naples, Italy

³

Department of Mother and Child, University Hospital Federico II, Endo-ERN Center for Rare Endocrine Conditions, 80138 Naples, Italy

⁴

Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Children 2026, 13(2), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020169 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 24 December 2025 / Revised: 21 January 2026 / Accepted: 23 January 2026 / Published: 25 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes)

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Abstract

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs), including Hashimoto thyroiditis and Graves’ disease, are the most common autoimmune endocrinopathies, affecting up to 5% of the population. Pathogenetic pathways have not yet been fully elucidated, even though different immune-genetic alterations have been proposed. Specific immune defects presenting with AITDs may serve as an experimentum naturae to study the involvement of a specific pathway in the pathogenesis of the disease. In fact, since immune dysregulation with autoimmunity frequently characterize inborn errors of immunity (IEIs), understanding the mechanisms of immune tolerance breakdown leading to autoimmunity in these conditions may provide useful insight to understand the pathogenesis of AITDs. In this review, we will highlight the main immunological aspects of AITDs and their pathogenesis in IEIs.

Keywords: autoimmune thyroid diseases; immunodysregulation; inborn errors of immunity

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MDPI and ACS Style

Grilli, L.; Cillo, F.; Romano, R.; Giardino, G.; Rotondo, F.R.; Vasaturo, S.; Salerno, M.; Capalbo, D. The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity. Children 2026, 13, 169. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020169

AMA Style

Grilli L, Cillo F, Romano R, Giardino G, Rotondo FR, Vasaturo S, Salerno M, Capalbo D. The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity. Children. 2026; 13(2):169. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020169

Chicago/Turabian Style

Grilli, Laura, Francesca Cillo, Roberta Romano, Giuliana Giardino, Francesca Romana Rotondo, Sara Vasaturo, Mariacarolina Salerno, and Donatella Capalbo. 2026. "The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity" Children 13, no. 2: 169. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020169

APA Style

Grilli, L., Cillo, F., Romano, R., Giardino, G., Rotondo, F. R., Vasaturo, S., Salerno, M., & Capalbo, D. (2026). The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity. Children, 13(2), 169. https://doi.org/10.3390/children13020169

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The Cross-Knit Between Immune Cells and Thyroid Function in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: What We Can Learn from Inborn Errors of Immunity

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