Given the fact that some studies report an increased incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis73,74, it is possible that there is a genetic link between HT and thyroid cancer, i.e. that changes in expression of SMARCA2 and FAM129A in HT can predispose to development of some forms of thyroid cancer. The gene discussed is SMARCA2; the disease is thyroid cancer.