title: [The HLA system: a clinical help?].
abstract: Chronic diseases are polymorph and influenced by many environmental and genetic factors. The HLA system is implicated in the modulation the onset and the evolution of chronic diseases. These observations are important to be considered for the prediction, prognosis and treatment adaptation. Evaluation tests are mainly statistical and are based on epidemiological studies. Thus, results must be considered with caution. Two aspects are to be considered:
  
  
  METHODS
  Associations between HLA alleles and chronic diseases are well known but concern very few diseases like narcolepsy or rheumatoid arthritis. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is particular because the prediction is limited to familial studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This point is less documented in clinical applications but is of interest particularly in inflammatory bowel diseases or systemic affections. This observation can be considered as a compartmental response which is a kind of adaptation to stress.
authors.affiliation: Unité fonctionnelle de génotypage HLA, Hôpital R.-Salengro, Lille.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fajardy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rousseaux
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Danze
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D015415:Biomarkers; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004813:Epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005819:Genetic Markers