A study of HLA-A and B antigens in 248 patients with biopsy diagnosed alcoholic liver disease was conducted to examine for a genetic predisposition to alcohol related liver injury. No statistically significant differences were established for 8 HLA-A and 16 HLA-B antigens between normal healthy controls (n = 342) and patients with alcoholic fatty liver (n = 86), alcoholic hepatitis (n = 63), active alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 64) and inactive alcoholic cirrhosis (n = 35). It is concluded that no HLA-A or B locus genetic susceptibility to alcoholic related injury could be shown.