title: Expression of oestrogen and progesterone receptors in canine sebaceous gland tumours.
abstract: Sebaceous gland oestrogen alpha (ERalpha) and progesterone (PR) receptor expression was examined immunohistochemically in 26 and 32 dogs respectively with sebaceous gland hyperplasia/adenomas, epitheliomas and carcinomas, and in the glands of 10 healthy controls. The mean percentage of ERalpha positive nuclei in control sebaceous glands was 21.31% compared with 11.5% in hyperplasia/adenoma-type lesions, although these values were not statistically different. In sebaceous gland epitheliomas and carcinomas, positive basal cells represented 7.86% and 3.53% of neoplastic cells respectively and these mean percentages were significantly lower in epitheliomas (P < 0.024) and carcinomas (P < 0.015) than in controls. The mean percentage of PR-positive nuclei in control sebaceous glands was 23.96%, similar to the 22.07% found in hyperplasia/adenoma-type lesions. In sebaceous gland epitheliomas and carcinomas, positive cells were scarce and represented 13.5% and 4.06% of neoplastic cells respectively. Differences in the percentage of positive cells between normal and pathological glands reached statistical significance for carcinomas (P < 0.043). In the control group there was greater PR (P < 0.001) and ERalpha expression (P < 0.014) in sebaceous glands in female dogs. The PR and ERalpha immunoreactivity in each category of neoplastic lesions could not be analysed because sample size was too small but when all the sebaceous gland tumours were grouped and analysed, no sex difference was found. The results suggest that oestrogen and progesterone receptor expression is reduced in some canine sebaceous gland tumours. These changes may represent a contributing factor for tumour growth or simply be a consequence of tumour progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. pginel@uco.es
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ginel
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lucena
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Millán
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González-Medina
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guil
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Monterde
authors.forename: Antonio Espinosa
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: de los Monteros
authors.forename: Juana Martín
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de las Mulas
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012626:Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone