Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
HIF-1alpha and VEGF levels linked to cat mammary cancer outcomes
By Chen, Bo et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2020·Graduate Institute of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in feline mammary gland carcinomas: association with pathological characteristics and clinical outcomes.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with mammary gland tumors were studied to see how certain proteins, HIF-1α and VEGF, related to their cancer's characteristics and outcomes. The research found that many of the tumors showed high levels of these proteins, with HIF-1α linked to a lower chance of survival. While VEGF was associated with specific tumor features, it did not affect survival rates. This suggests that targeting HIF-1α could be a promising treatment option for cats with these types of tumors.
People also search for: cat mammary tumor treatment · feline cancer survival rates · HIF-1α in cat tumors
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The microenvironment within solid malignant tumors, including feline mammary gland carcinomas (FMGCs), is commonly hypoxic, possibly due to the lack of functional blood vessels in rapidly proliferating neoplastic tissue. Malignant cells can undergo genetic and adaptive changes that prevent them from dying due to oxygen deprivation through expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Therefore, HIF-1α and VEGF are ideal biomarkers for cancer therapy and prognostic evaluation. The aims of this study were to evaluate the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in feline mammary carcinomas and analyze their correlations with clinical and pathological factors, such as clinical stage, histologic grading, regional metastasis, and overall survival rate. RESULTS: Paraffin-embedded tissue samples collected from 72 cats with FMGCs were retrospectively studied. Histologic pattern and histologic grading (Elston and Ellis grading system) of these FMGCs were determined. Our data indicated that grade II tubulopapillary carcinomas (43/72, 59.7%) prevailed in this study, and most FMCGs showed apparent necrosis, squamous metaplasia, and intratumoral stromal response. According to the results of immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings performed in tissue microarrays (TMAs), HIF-1α and VEGF overexpressions were respectively noted in 69.4% (50/72) and 77.8% (56/72) of FMGC cases. Chi-square test showed no correlation of HIF-1α overexpression with clinical and pathological factors. VEGF overexpression was significantly correlated with histologic pattern (p = 0.021), stromal response (p = 0.048), squamous metaplasia (p = 0.001), and lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.007). However, neither HIF-1α nor VEGF overexpression was correlated with histologic grading and metastasis. Of 38 cats with 1-year follow-up, IHC stainings of HIF-1α and VEGF were performed on whole tissue sections. The results showed that overexpression of HIF-1α was significantly correlated with the overall survival rate (p < 0.05) (log-rank test), whereas there was no significant correlation between VEGF overexpression and overall survival rate. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the overexpression of HIF-1α may indicate poor prognosis/overall survival rate in cats with FMGCs. Developing compounds that inhibit HIF-1α may be a potential approach to FMGC treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32375802/