title: The role of CD44 adhesion factor in canine mammary carcinomas.
abstract: CD44 is an adhesion molecule implicated in the progression of human breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to describe CD44 antigen expression in canine mammary carcinomas and to evaluate its prognostic significance in relation to other clinico-pathological variables. A reduction in CD44 expression was significantly related to variables such as tumour size and adherence to underlying tissues but was not related to tumour location or to ulceration of the overlying skin. Complex (grade I) and anaplastic (grade III) carcinomas exhibited more intense expression of this antigen than did some tubulopapillary and most solid carcinomas (grade II). Although reduced CD44 expression was associated with infiltrative growth and vascular invasion in solid carcinomas, intense expression was also observed in anaplastic tumours. Although overall these findings suggest a role for this adhesion factor in canine mammary tumour development and progression, the complexity and apparently paradoxical nature of some of the findings currently limit the use of this immunohistochemical marker as a prognostic indicator.
authors.affiliation: Pathological Anatomy Section, Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, University of León, 24007 León, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Madrazo
authors.forename: Rosa A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: García-Fernández
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: García-Iglesias
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Durán
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez-Martínez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors