Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Inflammation genes miR-21, IL-6, TNF-alpha rise in dog mammary tumors
By Abbate, Jessica Maria et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2023·Department of Veterinary Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Upregulation of miR-21 and pro-inflammatory cytokine genes IL-6 and TNF-α in promoting a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment in canine mammary carcinomas.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with mammary tumors had higher levels of certain inflammatory proteins and a specific microRNA (miR-21) that could indicate how aggressive the cancer is. The researchers looked at 26 samples, including 22 tumors, and discovered that the presence of miR-21 and the proteins IL-6 and TNF-alpha were linked to faster tumor growth. This suggests that these markers could help predict how the cancer might behave in affected dogs. Understanding these factors could lead to better treatment strategies for canine mammary cancer.
People also search for: dog mammary tumor treatment · miR-21 in canine cancer · IL-6 and TNF-alpha in dogs
Abstract
This study evaluated the gene expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in canine mammary tumors (CMTs), and correlated them with gene expression of miRNAs expected to regulate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Furthermore, gene expression of cytokines and miRNAs involved in tumor cell proliferation and invasion (i.e. miR-21; miR-124; miR-145) were correlated with tumor proliferation index (Ki67 index) to determine the prognostic value in CMTs. Twenty-six canine mammary samples were used, including 22 CMTs and 4 control samples. MiR-21, IL-6 and TNF-α were upregulated in mammary carcinomas compared with controls (p < 0.05). MiR-146b was downregulated in CMTs compared with control cases (p < 0.05). IL-6 expression showed a significant positive correlation with miR-21 and a negative correlation with miR-146b; while, TNF-α gene expression was positively correlated with miR-21 and miR-145 in mammary carcinomas. In carcinomas, the Ki67 index correlated positively with gene expression of IL-6 and miR-21 and negatively correlated with miR-145 and miR-146b. Specifically, gene expression of IL-6 and miR-21 was positively correlated with ki67 index >33.3%, whereas, expression of miR-145 and miR-146b was negatively correlated with ki67 index <33.3%. Results reinforce the concept of interaction between tumor cells and inflammatory cells within the TME, with a central role of IL-6 and TNF-α. Since the upregulation of miR-21 reflects the gene overexpression of interleukins and the high proliferation index of tumor cells, this miRNA may be considered a biomarker with prognostic value in CMTs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37741040/