An introduction to the role of immunology in medical anthropology and molecular epidemiology

Abstract

Medical anthropology is a multi-disciplinary approach to the medical sciences and humanities. Immunology is of the basic medical sciences dealing with anthropology as a science which involves in recognition of self and non-self. We performed this review paper to introduce the role of immunology in medical anthropology and molecular epidemiology. This narrative review was based on the authors' original experience and current literature. We discussed about human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their disease associations. Bioinformatics and biostatistics help us to use this topic in evidence-based medicine. Immunogenetics is an important part of the molecular anthropology being a part of medical anthropology in turn. There were different notions of the integration of immunology and medical anthropology including environmental, ecological and cultural effects, historical and philosophical approaches, immunological biomarkers in different patients, and immunogenetics. Such studies can be used in pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine especially for immunotherapy.

Keywords

• Immunology
• Medical anthropology
• Pharmacogenomics
• Personalized medicine