HLA and Epilepsy

The association of HLA antigens with some specific diseases has given us the opportunity to increase our understanding of these diseases. In these diseases of unknown etiology, the condition occurs more frequently in families of affected people then in the general population. The mode of inheritance is generally unknown. Association indicates that at least part of the genetic basis lies in the HLA region. The HLA region (or MHC) is located on the short arm of chromosome 6 and is composed of the A, B, C, and D locus. Linked with these loci are several loci not involved in immunological mechanisms such as genes for complement factors (C2, Bf, C4) and enzymes (phosphoglucomutase 3, PGM3; glyoxalase 1, GLO). Furthermore, the genes for susceptibility to hemochromatosis (HFE) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CA21 H) have been mapped to the HLA region itself.