Analysis of intraocular metastasis in female dogs suffering from mammary carcinoma and correlation with E-cadherin mutation and expression

• Grant number: 13/12817-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: José Joaquim Titton Ranzani
• Grantee: José Joaquim Titton Ranzani
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adriana Camargo Ferrasi ; Noeme Sousa Rocha

Abstract

The mammary tumors are very common in dogs indicating 25-52% of cancer cases in these females. The incidence of malignant mammary gland tumors exceeds 50% and among them the carcinoma is the most prevalent. The identification of tumor markers clinically relevant can help determine treatment and prognosis (of the disease). The E-cadherin, an adhesion protein encoded by the gene CDH1, seems to be one of the most reliable indicator of the prognosis in breast cancers. Several mechanisms that lead to structural changes in gene CDH1 and low expression or inactivation of E-cadherin may be present. In humans, these mechanisms include gene mutations and / or epigenetic mechanisms such as methylation resulting in low expression of E-cadherin which may trigger the spread of tumor cells. Ocular metastasis, especially in the choroid from breast cancer are quite common but underdiagnosed clinically. This study aims to analyze the occurrence of intraocular metastasis in dogs suffering from mammary carcinoma and to correlate the findings with mutation and expression of E-cadherin. (AU)