Studies of Canine Leucocyte Antigens: a Significant Advance in Canine Immunology

The Canine Leucocyte Antigen Workshop (CLAW) was set up to produce and circulate monoclonal antibodies directed against cell surface molecules defining specific leucocyte cell types in the dog. The antibodies produced by the workshop have been used in studies of the canine immune system. While many similarities between the dog and other animals have been demonstrated, workshop studies have identified some anomalies in this species: CD4 antigen for example is expressed not only on helper/inducer T-lymphocytes but also at high density on canine neutrophils. Workshop antibodies have been used to investigate lymphocyte populations in the normal dog and in a range of diseases from lymphocytic neoplasms through conditions with an immune-mediated component such as Leishmaniasis to potentially autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic superficial keratitis.