Collagen levels in dog skin tumors predict survival and death

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mast cell tumours (MCTs) constitute almost 25% of cutaneous neoplasms in dogs. Their biological behaviour is predicted using histopathological grading which is based on several subjective criteria that are vulnerable to intra- and interobserver variability. To improve the prediction of the biological behaviour, several complementary markers have been studied. The integrity of the extracellular matrix (ECM) may play a protective role against tumoral progression, and favour cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastases when altered. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the quantification of collagen and elastic fibres as prognostic markers for MCTs. ANIMALS: Thirty-eight random cases of canine cutaneous MCT surgically treated with wide margins were included. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Intratumoral collagen and elastic fibres were identified and quantified on histological sections stained with Masson's trichrome, Picrosirius red and Verhoeff; the results were compared with histopathological grades, mortality due to the disease and postsurgical survival. RESULTS: Morphometric analysis revealed a significant relationship between histopathological grade and intratumoral collagen index (CoI). In addition, the CoI was considered an independent indicator for mortality and postsurgical survival. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: These results support the importance of the CoI in the grading and prognosis of MCTs, suggesting that preservation and/or synthesis of collagen have the potential to become targets for MCT therapeutics.