"The introductory section summarises current knowledge on the structure, function, genetics and evolution of the HLA system. It clarifies its complex and ever changing nomenclature and discusses the mechanisms underlying disease associations with HLA alleles. The second section deals with the importance of HLA in the context of different clinical specialities. Individual chapters describe the association between HLA polymorphism and each disease. The final section features chapters on current laboratory practice in histocompatibility and tissue typing." "HLA in Health and Disease is essential reading for basic and clinical researchers working in immunology and immunogenetics, transplantation medicine and autoimmunity. It will also be of interest to anyone in the fields of rheumatology, diabetology, nephrology, allergy, dermatology, neurology, endocrinology, cancer biology, respiratory medicine, haematology, molecular biology and biochemistry."--Jacket.