The major histocompatibility complex and inflammation

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is of major medical interest because of its contribution to transplant rejection and to variation among individuals in susceptibility to a variety of autoimmune disorders. In addition to its role in influencing the propensity for known autoimmune diseases, the MHC contains genes contributing to several other hereditary disorders that are not autoimmune in nature or in which the role of autoimmunity is uncertain. Recently, a cluster of genes encoding inflammation-related proteins were found, and our review focuses on these findings and their clinical relevance.