Quantification of lymphatic vessels in canine mammary carcinomas and their prognostic value

• Grant number: 24/13369-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo de Francisco Strefezzi
• Grantee: Rebeca dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Canine mammary tumours are common neoplasms in bitches, and 50% of these neoplasms are malignant. Metastasis is one of the main causes of death, which occurs through the dissemination of cancer cells through lymphatic and blood vessels. Tumour growth induces both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and the formation of these vessels is essential for the neoplasm. Lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic remodelling have crucial functions in cancer. However, their location is a controversial topic, especially regarding the presence or absence of intratumoral lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are formed by endothelial cells that can be identified by the presence of the LYVE-1 protein. The objective of this project is to identify and quantify lymphatic vessels in canine mammary carcinomas and to verify their prognostic value. For this purpose, samples of canine mammary carcinomas will be submitted to immunohistochemical analysis with the anti-LYVE-1 antibody to label lymphatic vessels. The number of vessels will be determined in 5 hot spot fields, intra- or peritumoral, using the 40x objective. The values obtained in each case will be compared with the histopathological subtypes and grades, mortality due to the disease, post-surgical survival and occurrence of metastases.