Major Histocompatibility Complexes and Antigen Presentation

Antigens that are present on the cell surface and involved in immune rejection are called histocompatibility antigens. A highly polymorphic group of genes encoding major histocompatibility antigens is called the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The proteins encoded by MHC are associated with immune recognition, rejection and immune response, thus MHC determines the susceptibility of an individual to infectious diseases and the tendency to autoimmune diseases to some extent, and in particular plays a key role in the adaptive immune response.