title: Expression of proto-oncogene C-kit and correlation with morphological evaluations in canine cutaneous mast cell tumors.
abstract: Canine cutaneous mast cell tumor (MCT) is very common disease in dogs, this is more aggressive than in other species. The biologic behavior of MCT is highly variable and a more accurate prognosis for these tumors needs to performed. The proto-oncogene c-kit is known to play a critical role in development and function of mast cells (MC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of immunohistochemical pattern of c-kit in MCTs and to correlate these results with MC density (MCD) and intratumoral microvessel density (MVD). Our results confirm that a more aggressive biologic behavior of canine MCT is associated with the increased c-kit expression, further suggesting a new role for c-kit, as a useful marker, in diagnostic pathology and in tumor progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. l.passantino@veterinaria.uniba.it
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Passantino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Passantino
authors.forename: Attilio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cianciotta
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ribaud
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lo Presti
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D054705:Mastocytoma, Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000662:veterinary; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit