title: Downregulation of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) and latent TGFβ binding protein (LTBP)-4 expression in late stage canine mammary tumours.
abstract: Although canine mammary tumours (CMT) are the most common malignant tumours in bitches the pathogenesis is far from understood. To analyse the role of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) family in the carcinogenesis of CMT, relative mRNA and protein expression of TGFβ-1, -2 and -3, TGFβ receptor (TGFβR)-1 and -3, latent TGFβ-binding protein (LTBP)-1, -3 and -4, and oestrogen receptor α in CMT were quantified. mRNA expression concentrations were measured in laser-microdissected tissue samples of mammary adenomas, carcinomas and their lymph node metastases and normalised to the non-neoplastic mammary gland of the same dog. Carcinomas and metastases had significantly decreased expression levels of TGFβ-3, TGFβR-3 and LTBP-4, but increased LTBP-1 expression when compared to non-neoplastic glands or adenomas. Decreased TGFβ and LTBP-4 expression were confirmed immunohistochemically. The data suggested that loss of TGFβ-3 and LTBP-4 may have growth-stimulatory effects in late-stage tumours, and loss of their expression, together with reduced TGFβR-3 expression, may be associated with increased proliferative activity of CMT similar to findings in human breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany. klopfleisch.robert@vetmed.fu-berlin.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klopfleisch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schütze
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Gruber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D053779:Latent TGF-beta Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053779:Latent TGF-beta Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta