[Study of the distribution of HLA antigens within a population and a comparison between 2 populations]

HLA complex is made up of numerous loci whose alleles are codominant. Several associations between HLA antigens and diseases have been identified. Analysis of these associations require statistical methods taking into account the number of tests and the existence of alleles which have not yet been identified. Statistical methods for the estimation and the comparison of alleles frequencies are presented for genotypic, phenotypic and marginal data. An example concerning patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma illustrates these methods.