Histocompatibility antigens and rheumatic diseases.

Great advances have been made during the last 10 years in the field of immunogenetics as applied to the rheumatic diseases. The association of particular rheumatic diseases with the gene products of the major histocompatibility system provides convincing evidence of a genetic basis for disease susceptibility and has enabled identification of genetic heterogeneity within disease groups. This review briefly discusses the biology of HLA system and its relevance for rheumatology today.