Immunogenetics of killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors.

The immunogenetics of cell-surface antigens began with the study of red cells and then moved onto the white cells. HLA class I antigens were analyzed on leukocytes and HLA class II antigens on B cells. In the last decade the natural killer (NK) cell has become a target for immunogeneticists, in particular the family of genes encoding the killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs).