While the biological mechanisms underlying the protective and risk associations between the HLA alleles, HPV antigens and HPV-related cervical cancer remains to be discovered, it could be conceivably linked that HPV antigens presented by MHC molecules have variable affinities, which may or may not be immunogenic enough to result in effective priming of HPV-specific immune cells in protected vs. at risk individuals. The gene discussed is HLA-C; the disease is cervical cancer.