Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system 1984.

The HLA nomenclature committee met under the auspices of the WHO after the 9th International Histocompatibility Testing Workshop to consider revisions and additions to the nomenclature of factors identified by serological and cellular typing following the principles established successively in previous reports [1–6]. The nomenclature for the variants of the complement components controlled by genes of the HLA region was not considered as it was assumed that this was the responsibility of those with a special interest in complement, see e.g. [7]. Special attention was given to establishing a revised system of nomenclature for the products (sometimes called class II) of what can now be called the HLA-D region, based on the recent advances in our understanding of the biochemistry and genetics of these products.