9 – SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS

The current status of the knowledge of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in domestic animals is presented in this chapter. Particularly in the case of the dog, striking similarities with the disease in humans are evident. The study of spontaneous diseases of domestic animals is of great value in research into the pathogenesis and treatment of many spontaneous diseases of humans. Although generally more expensive than the use of traditional animal models, and despite mounting sensitivities regarding the use of dogs and cats in medical research, their close environmental proximity to humans and their outbred nature make them particularly appropriate for such investigations. This is most certainly true in case of spontaneous autoimmune diseases. Investigations of canine immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, lymphocytic thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), to name but a few, have all contributed in the enhanced understanding of the counterpart disease in humans. The most significant work, however, has probably involved investigations of canine SLE. Although, contributions enhancing the knowledge of the clinical aspects of the disease continue on both sides of the Atlantic, in-depth investigations of the pathogenesis commenced in the United States in the late 1960s, and in recent years it has taken place largely in France and Scandinavia.