A to Z of MS
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A to Z of MS Human leukocyte antigen system (HLA)
The human leukocyte antigen system (HLA) is the general name of a group of genes located on cells in the body that help the immune system distinguish between foreign invaders and the body's own tissue. In MS, this distinction doesn't occur and the immune system attacks myelin as if it were foreign.
Although the precise genes involved in the development of multiple sclerosis are not well understood, research has identified one HLA gene that is more prevalent in women with MS and may be part of the explanation why more women than get get the condition.
Genes and women - news item 6 Jan 2011
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- Immune system
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