The HLA histocompatibility system in autoimmune states.

The HLA system of antigens identified serologically and, in some cases, by cellular techniques has shown important associations with numerous autoimmune diseases. As DNA technology becomes more widely used, there is great expectation that restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) and oligonucleotide probing of the HLA genes will soon provide for clinical use even more definitive relationships with these diseases and possibly insights into their pathogenetic mechanisms.