The rapid developments in molecular genetics have clarified many of the muta tions in monogenic
thyroid diseases over the last two decades now the target of molecular thyroid genetics has
become the oligogenic thyroid diseases. These include the autoimmune thyroid diseases and
familial thyroid cancers both of which are much commoner than the monogenic diseases. However
the method ological approach to the genetics of these more complex diseases is still far from
being well established. Although the discovery of susceptibility genes has been partially
accomplished in complex diseases such as asthma Crohn's dis ease and types I and II diabetes
mellitus the elucidation of susceptibility genes in complex diseases remains a major
challenge. This volume contains papers presented at the International Symposium on the Genetics
of Complex Thyroid Diseases. This meeting was held in association with the International
Thyroid Congress in Kyoto in October 2000 and sup ported in part by the Japan Intractable
Diseases Research Foundation and Knoll Pharmaceuticals Inc. The symposium was the first
international symposium con cerning the genetics of complex thyroid diseases and was restricted
to the study of the autoimmune thyroid diseases and familial thyroid cancer. Twenty distin
guished researchers from the United States the United Kingdom France Ger many Italy and
Japan were invited. Each presentation precipitated intense dis cussion and there was much
consensus during the meeting. Nevertheless this volume will leave the reader with a clear
understanding of how little we still know.
