Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies to cell surface molecules have been proven as a key tool for phenotypic and functional characterization of the cellular immune response. One of the major difficulties in studying camel cellular immunity consists in the lack of monoclonal antibodies that dtect their leukocyte differentiation antigens. In the present study two-parameter flow cytometry was used to screen existing commercially available monoclonal antibodies to human leukocyte antigens and major histocompatibility molecules (MHC) for their reactivity with camel leukocytes.
The comparison of patterns of reactivity obtained after labelling human and camel leukocytes, monoclonal antibodies specific to human cluster of differentiation (CD) 18, CD11a, CD11b and CD14 are predicted to be cross-reactive with homologous camel antigens.

Key words: dromedary camel, antibodies, flow cytometry, cross-reactivity