title: HLA class II and autoimmunity: epitope selection vs differential expression.
abstract: Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are subject to a complex pathogenesis controlled by multiple genes and numerous environmental factors. The strongest genetic association is with certain HLA class II haplotypes and we here summarize the evidence supporting differential expression as a mechanism supporting the autoimmune process.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, University of Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany. brigitte.mueller-hilke@med.uni-rostock.de
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Müller-Hilke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens