Abstract
The human G-leukocyte antigen (HLA-G) molecule is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule. The pertinence of HLA-G has been investigated in numerous studies which have sought to elucidate the relevance of HLA-G in pathologic conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, cancers, and hematologic malignancies. One of the main goals of the current research on HLA-G is to use this molecule in clinical practice, either in diagnostics or as a therapeutic target. Since HLA-G antigens are currently considered as immunomodulatory molecules that are involved in reducing inflammatory and immune responses, in this review, we decided to focus on this group of antigens as potential determinants of progression in autoimmune diseases. This article highlights what we consider as recent pivotal findings on the immunomodulatory function of HLA-G, not only to establish the role of HLA-G in the human body, but also to explain how these proteins mediate the immune response.
Highlights
The human G-leukocyte antigen (HLA-G) molecule belongs to the class I histocompatibility antigens
A study by Sakly et al revealed that the HLA-G 14 bp ins/del polymorphism appears to be related to Behçet’s disease (BD), as the incidence of the 14 bp allele is higher in patients compared to healthy controls
The researchers concluded that the different alleles of HLA-G genes have different effects on the risk of developing BD—the HLA-G* allele 01:01:01 is associated with a reduced risk of developing BD, while HLA-G* alleles 01:01:02 and G*01:05N are associated with an increased risk of developing BD [127,128]
Summary
The human G-leukocyte antigen (HLA-G) molecule belongs to the class I histocompatibility antigens. Soluble HLA-G molecules are capable of inducing apoptosis in antigen-specific CD8+ T cells as well as in dendritic cells (DCs) and are involved in the activation of B cells [3,4,5,6,7,8,9] It is involved in the immune response and tolerance development during pregnancy. Because HLA-G antigens are currently considered immunomodulatory molecules that are involved in reducing inflammatory and immune responses in the human body, in this review, we decided to focus on this group of antigens as potential determinants of the progression of autoimmune diseases. Our goal is to estimate the role of HLA-G in the human body and to explain how these proteins mediate the immune response, and to establish their participation in many autoimmune diseases such as: celiac disease, rheumatoid diseases, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, asthma, or allergic rhinitis
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