Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using flow cytometry to analyze mast cell tumors in dogs and lymph
By Sulce, M et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2018·Department of Veterinary Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Utility of flow cytometry in canine primary cutaneous and matched nodal mast cell tumor.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a mast cell tumor (a type of skin cancer) was studied to see how flow cytometry, a lab technique, could help identify these tumors and check for cancer spread to lymph nodes. Researchers found that certain markers on the mast cells were present in most cases, which could help confirm the diagnosis. This technique showed promise in detecting mast cells in lymph nodes, which is important for understanding the cancer's progression. While the findings are encouraging, more research is needed to fully understand the significance of the results.
People also search for: dog mast cell tumor treatment · how to identify mast cell tumors in dogs · dog cancer lymph node involvement
Abstract
Mast cell tumors (MCT) are among the most frequent tumors in dogs, but studies regarding canine mast cell immunophenotype are lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of flow cytometric analysis of MCTs, to describe canine MCTs immunophenotype(s), and to evaluate the ability of flow cytometry to detect mast cells in lymph node aspirates. Thirty-four primary canine MCTs and 12 draining lymph nodes were evaluated regarding the expression of CD117, IgE, CD11b, CD18, CD44, CD34, CD25 and CD45. Distinct populations attributable to mast cells and eosinophils were recognized based on light scatters and CD117 positivity. Common antigens (CD18, CD45, CD44) and CD117 were detected in all cases; positivity for IgE and CD11b was found in 28 (82%) and 23 (68%) cases respectively, while CD34 and CD25 were occasionally expressed. A single multicolor tube (IgE/CD117/CD11b/CD21/CD5) allowed the identification of mast cells in lymph nodes, showing a high correlation with cytology in quantifying mast cells infiltration. In conclusion, flow cytometric analysis can be applied to characterize canine MCTs and can be used to detect the presence of mast cells in lymph nodes. The immunophenotype abnormalities observed may be useful to confirm the neoplastic nature of such mast cells but the diagnostic usefulness of atypical antigen expression remains to be clarified.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30503539/