INTRODUCTION Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a severe, chronic inflammatory disease strongly associated with HLA-B27. The presence of additional HLA risk factors has been suggested by several studies. The aim of the current study is to assess the occurrence of an additional HLA susceptibility locus in the region between HLA-E and HLA-C in the Sardinian population. METHODS 200 random controls, ...

1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. MHC Class I and II Molecules 3.1. Function of MHC Class I and Class II molecules 3.2. Structure of MHC Class I and Class II molecules 3.3. Antigen binding by MHC Class I and Class II molecules 3.4. MHC polymorphism on peptide binding 3.5. Antigen presentation by MHC Class II molecules 4. MHC and disease associations 4.1. Associations between MHC polymorphism and d...

A new HLA-DQ-related genetic system with two alleles, 2B3 and TA10, defined serologically by MAbs and alloantisera, showed an almost perfect correlation with charge differences on DQ beta molecules, as well as with two polymorphic DNA fragments hybridizing with a DQ beta probe and various restriction enzymes on a panel of 14 DR4+ homozygous typing cells. It was therefore concluded that the sero...

A limited number of studies have been performed so far on the polymorphism in the transmembrane region (exon 5) of the major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related gene A (MICA) in patients with melanoma. However, the influence of MICA polymorphism in extracellular domains (exons 2, 3, and 4) has not been investigated on melanoma disease. This study aims to characterize the influence ...

Combinations of HLA and killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes have been associated with diseases as diverse as autoimmunity, viral infections, reproductive failure, and now cancer. Much as early observations of disease associations with HLA polymorphism preceded a detailed knowledge of HLA recognition by T cell receptors, the recently reported disease associations with HLA-KIR ge...

Background: It has been arguedthat unprecedented degree of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci polymorphism within a population is requiredto avoid the devastating effects of infectious diseases. The present study was conducted to determine the associations between some of HLA classI genes and the outcome of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Methods: Using sequential sampling method, 64 individ...

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC, 6p21) codes for traditional HLA and other host response related genes. The polymorphic HLA-DRB1 gene in MHC Class II has been associated with several complex diseases. In this study we focus on MHC haplotype structures in the Finnish population. We explore the variability of extended HLA-DRB1 haplotypes in relation to the other traditional HLA genes an...

Knowledge of an individual's human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype is essential for modern medical genetics, and is crucial for hematopoietic stem cell and solid-organ transplantation. However, the high levels of polymorphism known for the HLA genes make it difficult to generate an HLA genotype that unambiguously identifies the alleles that are present at a given HLA locus in an individual. Fo...

Since the discovery of the HLA system, over 40 years ago, we now have an understanding of the role of HLA molecules in the adaptive immune response, as well as in the alloimmune response experienced when foreign HLA is introduced into an individual via transplant, transfusion or pregnancy. Retrospective studies in the 1970s and 1980s illustrated the importance of matching for HLA antigens in tr...

Abstract Background Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G molecule has been suggested to have a potential immunomodulatory role in multiple sclerosis (MS). Genetic variant sites of HLA-G reported be associated with autoimmune diseases. Identifying the genetic risk factors MS may help preventive strategies and anticipating disease progression. The aim this work was investigate effect 14-base-pair inse...