AUTHOR=Rizzo Roberta , Bortolotti Daria , Bolzani Silvia , Fainardi Enrico TITLE=HLA-G Molecules in Autoimmune Diseases and Infections JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=5 YEAR=2014 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2014.00592 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2014.00592 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G molecule, a non-classical HLA-Ib molecule, is less polymorphic when compared to classical HLA class I molecules. Human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) was first detected on cytotrophoblast cells at the feto-maternal interface but its expression is prevalent during viral infections and several autoimmune diseases. HLA-G gene is characterized by polymorphisms at the 3′ un-translated region and 5′ upstream regulatory region that regulate its expression and are associated with autoimmune diseases and viral infection susceptibility, creating an unbalanced and pathologic environment. This review focuses on the role of HLA-G genetic polymorphisms, mRNA, and protein expression in autoimmune conditions and viral infections.