HLA and other immunogenetic approaches to the study of diseases in man.

We have attempted to focus on several areas that can be practically explored to elucidate the mechanisms accounting for the polymorphism of the human major histocompatibility complex and attendent disease predispositions. In addition to widespread serologic HLA typing of specific populations, diseases, and families, it is important to improve discriminating methods for expoloration of other areas of the HLA supergene, especially those involved in specific immune responsiveness. It may also be necessary to take into account possible modulating effects of the MHC on other recognized human genes. Application of these improved methods to the study of infertile couples, recognized genetic syndromes, and human malignancies may assist in unraveling the immunogenetic enigma of these diseases.