In people with Graves' disease, higher levels of two thyroid hormones, FT3 and FT4, are associated with higher levels of certain inflammatory signaling molecules called IL-17a, IL-23, and IL-10, regardless of the levels of autoantibodies present.

Measurements of five specific immune proteins in the blood are not consistently different between people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, and people without autoimmune thyroid disease, meaning these proteins cannot be used to tell these conditions apart from each other or from healthy states.

When someone has Graves’ disease, their thyroid hormones get too high, which tells the brain to stop making a hormone that stimulates the thyroid — so that hormone ends up being very low or even missing in blood tests.

In people with Graves' disease, certain inflammatory signaling molecules (IL-17a, IL-22, IL-23, and IL-10) tend to increase or decrease together, but their levels do not relate to the levels of autoantibodies that target the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor.

Sometimes people with Graves’ disease get eye or skin problems even when their thyroid hormone levels are normal, which suggests these issues might be caused by the immune system attacking tissues directly, not just from too much thyroid hormone.

Sometimes people can have Graves’ disease and show symptoms like bulging eyes or skin issues even if their thyroid isn’t overactive—this can happen if their thyroid doesn’t work well enough to produce excess hormones, and it means doctors might miss the disease if they only check thyroid levels.