What are the causes of graves' disease?

Autoimmune disorder: Graves disease is caused by antibodies which stimulate the thyroid gland to proliferate and hypersecrete thyroid hormone. There are aother causes of hyperthyroidism such as nodules or inflamation in the thyroid gland. Rarely excess iodine ingestion can also cause hyperthyroidism.

Not known: Gd is an autoimmune disease of which we don't understand fully the triggers that starts the cascade of cellular reaction leading to thyroid tissue overstimulation in addition to a host of other changes such as orbital involvement. An environmental influence is believed to be a factor ( recently there was a brief paper linking orange gas used during the vietnam war and increased risk for graves').