The Disease
Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (CLAD) is a fatal immunodeficiency disease found in Irish Setters. The condition is caused by mutation in a gene encoding a leucocyte surface molecule, leading to a dysfunction of the granulocytes. Therefore, the cell-cell adhesion events are disturbed.
Because their healing capacities are impaired, the affected dogs show severe infections of omphalophlebitis, skin infections, osteomyelitis and gingivitis. They die early in life from multiple severe infections, even if treated with massive doses of antibiotics.

The Trait of Inheritance
CLAD is an inherited autosomal recessive trait. This means that a dog can be clear (homozygous normal), affected, or a carrier (heterozygous). The carriers can spread the diseased gene in the population. Therefore, reliable information on non-affected dogs is the key to controlling this disease.

The mutation-based gene test and its advantages
The genetic defect leading to the disease has been identified. By DNA testing, the responsible mutation can be shown directly. This method provides a very high accuracy test and can be done at any age. It offers the possibility to distinguish not only between affected and clear dogs, but also to identify clinically healthy carriers. This is an essential information for controlling the disease in the breed, as carriers are able to spread the disease in the population, but can not be identified by means of common laboratory diagnostic.
If a particularly valuable dog turns out to be a carrier, it can be bred to a non-affected animal, and non-carrier puppies can be saved for the next round of breeding. But given the lethal nature of this disease, it is the best to select against carriers who are not superlative dogs, so as to entirely eliminate the gene from the line within two or three generations.

Requirements
The tests are performed out of  EDTA whole blood (0.5 ml). Testing is performed a few times per week at Laboklin. The results are due about one week after arrival of the sample in our laboratory.