Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Immune signals in lymph node of dog with oral melanoma
By Catchpole, B et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2002·Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Immunosuppressive cytokines in the regional lymph node of a dog suffering from oral malignant melanoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male cross-breed dog was brought in for evaluation of oral malignant melanoma, a type of cancer that affects the mouth. Tests confirmed the presence of cancer cells in the lymph node and showed signs of lung metastasis, which means the cancer had spread to the lungs. Unfortunately, the dog developed breathing problems and collapsed just four days later, leading to euthanasia. This case highlights how advanced testing can help understand the progression of oral melanoma in dogs.
People also search for: dog oral melanoma treatment · dog breathing problems · canine cancer stages · what to expect with dog melanoma
Abstract
A 10-year-old male cross-breed dog was referred for investigation of oral malignant melanoma. Fine-needle aspirates were taken from the draining submandibular lymph node. The presence of metastatic melanoma cells was confirmed by cytological examination and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers for the melanoma-associated antigens: tyrosinase and mart-1/melan A. Cytokine expression in the lymph node was evaluated by multiplex RT-PCR, which demonstrated the presence of mRNA for IL-10 and TGF-beta1. However, IL-2, IL-4 and IFNgamma mRNA could not be detected, suggesting a lack of immune activation. Thoracic radiographs showed a lesion within the caudal lung fields suggestive of pulmonary metastasis. The dog developed signs of dyspnoea and collapse and was euthanased four days later. This case illustrates that molecular techniques can be used to aid clinical staging of canine oral malignant melanoma, and suggests that immunosuppressive cytokines could be involved in the pathogenesis of disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12400646/