TheAnti-CLAantibodyrecognizesthecutaneouslymphocyte-associatedantigen(CLA),aspecializedglycoformofP-selectinglycoproteinligand-1(PSGL-1).Itservesasaligandforselectins,includingCD62E(ELAM-1)andCD62L(LECAM-1).CLAisauniqueskin-homingreceptorandispredominantlyfoundonaminorsubsetofhumanTcellsthatinfiltratetheskin.Thispost-translationalmodificationofPSGL-1isthoughttoserveasamechanismtoregulatetissue-specifichomingofCD4+andCD8+memory/effectorTcellsfromperipheralbloodtotheskin,whichplaysanessentialroleduringmanyinflammatoryandcertainmalignantskindiseases.
Inperipheralblood,CLAisnotonlyfoundonskin-homing
memory/effectorTcells,butisalsofoundtobeexpressedonmemory/effectorBcells,NKcells,blooddendriticcells,andonmonocytes.CLAisfur
ThermorefoundonLangerhanscellsintheskin.