Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
E-cadherin changes in grade 3 mast cell tumors in dogs
By Mackowiak, I I et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2012·Department of Pathology, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: E-cadherin in canine mast cell tumors: decreased expression and altered subcellular localization in Grade 3 tumors.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at mast cell tumors (MCTs), which are common skin tumors in dogs, to see how a protein called E-cadherin affects their behavior. In dogs with Grade 3 MCTs, which are the most aggressive, researchers found that the levels of E-cadherin were lower compared to less aggressive tumors. This suggests that the loss of E-cadherin may be linked to how invasive and dangerous these tumors can be. Understanding this relationship could help veterinarians better assess and treat dogs with mast cell tumors in the future.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · canine skin tumor symptoms · Grade 3 mast cell tumor prognosis
Abstract
Mast cell tumors (MCTs) are the most frequent round cell tumors in dogs and comprise approximately 21% of all canine cutaneous tumors. MCTs are highly invasive and metastatic corresponding to the histological grade. E-cadherin is an adhesion molecule expressed in epithelial cells and although it is an epithelial cellular marker, studies have shown expression of E-cadherin in canine round cell tumors. To better characterize the expression pattern of E-cadherin in several different histological grades of MCTs in dogs, the expression and localization of the adhesion molecule was investigated using immunohistochemistry. For this purpose, 18 cutaneous MCTs were classified into three histological grades, 1, 2 or 3. Clinical history and follow-up data were available for all of the dogs. Cytoplasmic and nuclear expressions of E-cadherin in all three types of tumors were verified by immunostaining using two different antibodies. There was decreased E-cadherin expression in the more aggressive MCTs (Grade 3), suggesting an association between E-cadherin and tumor aggressiveness. Additionally, the loss of E-cadherin expression in either the cytoplasm or nucleus in more aggressive and undifferentiated tumor types confirmed the importance of cellular adhesion in tumor behavior.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22766308/