Tissue Antigens: Autoantigens, Ailoantigens, Xenoantigens and Neoantigens*

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Abstract
The subject of clinical immunology is developing concomitantly with a wide and rapidly moving area of laboratory technology. The result is a better understanding of autoimmune disease, tissue transplantation rejection, fetal-maternal incompatibility, allergic disease, immunodeficiency disorders, adverse reactions to drugs, aberrant responses to bacterial and viral infections and growth and spread of malignant cells. Basic to this understanding is the need to appreciate the character and composition of natural substances which act as immunogens and elicit antibodies. These substances were classified according to their origin as autoantigens, alloantigens, xenoantigens and neoantigens. This review summarizes the present knowledge related to such antigens, emphasizing those aspects relevant to human disease and pointing to the major areas that future research must cover.