title: "Silent" alleles at the HLA-C locus.
abstract: Defined specificities of the HLA-C locus possess a significantly lower immunogenicity as compared with the HLA-A and HLA-B specificities. HLA-C "blanks" are not immunogenic at all. Among the possible explanations, the most likely one appears to be a low phenotypic expression of these alleles. C locus antigens as a whole are thus likely to be of minor relevance in donor/recipient matching for transplantation.
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens