Major histocompatibility complex
From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history
The major histocompatibility complex or MHC is a group of approximately 150 connected genes situated on human chromosome 6.[1] The two MHC genes, class I and class II, are relevant to infection due to their role in antigen presentation. The majority of individuals in the human population can synthesize six alternative class I molecules and the same number of different class II molecules.[1] MHC class I and class II molecules vary between individuals which, due to their role in antigen presentation, means different people present antigens differently.[1] This difference between immune systems, producing a variation in antigen presentation dependent on the individual, results in contrasting vulnerability to different pathogens.[1]
