The major histocompatibility complex in man.
The HLA system is a complex of polymorphic genes divided into a class I group and a class II group. The disclosed tertiary structure of HLA antigens indicates that they are principally involved in binding a variety of self and foreign immunogenic peptides and in their presentation to T cells. Class III HLA region is located between class I and class II regions. It comprises many genes, some of them participate in events of the immune response, too.