title: Impact of HLA-G analysis in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pathological conditions.
abstract: Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a non-classical HLA class I molecule that differs from classical HLA class I molecules by low polymorphism and tissue distribution. HLA-G is a tolerogenic molecule with an immune-modulatory and anti-inflammatory function on both innate and adaptative immunity. This peculiar characteristic of HLA-G has led to investigations of its role in pathological conditions in order to define possible uses in diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In recent years, HLA-G has been shown to have an important implication in different inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, pregnancy complications, tumor development and aggressiveness, and susceptibility to viral infections. In fact, HLA-G molecules have been reported to alternate at both genetic and protein level in different disease situations, supporting its crucial role in pathological conditions. Specific pathologies show altered levels of soluble (s)HLA-G and different HLA-G gene polymorphisms seem to correlate with disease. This review aims to update scientific knowledge on the contribution of HLA-G in managing pathological conditions.
authors.affiliation: Daria Bortolotti, Valentina Gentili, Antonella Rotola, Enzo Cassai, Roberta Rizzo, Dario Di Luca, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.affiliation: Daria Bortolotti, Valentina Gentili, Antonella Rotola, Enzo Cassai, Roberta Rizzo, Dario Di Luca, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gentili
authors.affiliation: Daria Bortolotti, Valentina Gentili, Antonella Rotola, Enzo Cassai, Roberta Rizzo, Dario Di Luca, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotola
authors.affiliation: Daria Bortolotti, Valentina Gentili, Antonella Rotola, Enzo Cassai, Roberta Rizzo, Dario Di Luca, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cassai
authors.affiliation: Daria Bortolotti, Valentina Gentili, Antonella Rotola, Enzo Cassai, Roberta Rizzo, Dario Di Luca, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Daria Bortolotti, Valentina Gentili, Antonella Rotola, Enzo Cassai, Roberta Rizzo, Dario Di Luca, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Medical Genetics, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Luca
keywords: Diagnosis; Human leukocyte antigen-G; Marker; Pathology; Prognosis; Treatment