Behavior of CD44 Receptors in Mammary Tumors of Dogs

Abstract

CD44 is a cell adhesion molecule closely related to tumor progression in humans. In canine mammary tumors, little information is available about this molecule. The aim of this study was to analyze, by immunohistochemistry, the behavior of this molecule in canine mammary tumors with or without the presence of metastasis. The dogs were divided in groups without metastasis (G1) and with metastasis (G2, with subsets A—original neoplasia and B—metastatic neoplasia). Tumors were classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The cells were counted whereby the plasma membrane and/or cytoplasm are stained. There was a significant increase in the number of cells immunostained for CD44 in the metastastic masses (G2B) as compared to groups G1 and G2A. It is concluded that in metastatic mass there was a significant increase in CD44 receptors, probably important for biology of the mammary tumor of dogs.