Histocompatibility antigens (HL A) and disease: a review

There is now a large amount of evidence concerning the relations of the gene, the immune response and disease susceptibility in animal models. These relations raise the possibility that susceptibility to a number of different diseases may relate to host genetic factors. One example of genetic expression is the histocompatibility antigen which has been found to be associated with susceptibility to leukemogenesis. Another is the increased susceptibility to a particular virus in mice carrying a gene in the H 2 locus. HL A genes in man are expressed as the major histocompatibility antigens. They are analogous to the H 2 gene system in mice. Recently there was a statistically significant correlation of these antigens with human disease. The authors assembled all the current literature and summarized the status of this concept. It appears that the biological significance of the system has yet to be realized. The reasons for racial variations of the HL A antigen frequencies and disease associations have not been fully explored nor has the mechanism been clarified.