Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low ATM gene and protein levels in dog mammary tumors
By Raposo-Ferreira, T M M et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2016·Department of Veterinary Clinic and Surgery, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Downregulation of ATM Gene and Protein Expression in Canine Mammary Tumors.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with mammary tumors had lower levels of a gene called ATM, which is important for repairing DNA. This was observed in both benign and malignant tumors when compared to healthy mammary tissue. However, the reduced levels of the ATM gene and protein did not seem to affect the dogs' clinical outcomes or survival rates. This suggests that, like in humans, the downregulation of the ATM gene may play a role in the development of mammary tumors in dogs, but it doesn't provide clear information about prognosis.
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Abstract
The ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene encodes a protein associated with DNA damage repair and maintenance of genomic integrity. In women, ATM transcript and protein downregulation have been reported in sporadic breast carcinomas, and the absence of ATM protein expression has been associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate ATM gene and protein expression in canine mammary tumors and their association with clinical outcome. ATM gene and protein expression was evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively, in normal mammary gland samples (n = 10), benign mammary tumors (n = 11), nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas (n = 19), and metastatic mammary carcinomas (n = 11). Lower ATM transcript levels were detected in benign mammary tumors and carcinomas compared with normal mammary glands (P = .011). Similarly, lower ATM protein expression was observed in benign tumors (P = .0003), nonmetastatic mammary carcinomas (P < .0001), and the primary sites of metastatic carcinomas (P < .0001) compared with normal mammary glands. No significant differences in ATM gene or protein levels were detected among benign tumors and nonmetastatic and metastatic mammary carcinomas (P > .05). The levels of ATM gene or protein expression were not significantly associated with clinical and pathological features or with survival. Similar to human breast cancer, the data in this study suggest that ATM gene and protein downregulation is involved in canine mammary gland tumorigenesis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27106737/