title: Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4: a biomarker and a potential immunotherapeutic target for canine malignant melanoma.
abstract: Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4 (CSPG4), also known as high molecular weight-melanoma associated antigen (HMW-MAA), is a membrane-bound chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan highly expressed by human melanoma cells. This phylogenetically conserved tumour antigen plays an important biological role in human melanoma, where it is used as a marker to diagnose forms with unusual characteristics, such as desmoplastic melanoma, and to detect melanoma cells in lymph nodes and peripheral blood, and as a target for immunotherapy because of its restricted distribution in normal tissues. To identify suitable targets to develop novel approaches of treating canine melanoma, CSPG4 was studies to see whether it is expressed in canine malignant melanomas. Immunohistochemical staining of 65 canine malignant melanomas with an anti-human CSPG4-specific antibody detected CSPG4 in 37 cases (56.9%). Positive staining was more frequent, albeit not significantly, in amelanotic compared to melanotic tumours and was statistically associated with tumours having both melanin and the epithelioid histotype. The frequency of CSPG4 expression was similar to that of other melanoma antigens used as diagnostic markers for canine malignant melanoma, such as Melan A and the protein recognized by the PNL2 monoclonal antibody. The results suggest that CSPG4 constitutes a new potential immunohistochemical marker of canine malignant melanoma and may represent an immunotherapeutic target as in humans.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Saray Lorda
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Mayayo
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology Center, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prestigio
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maniscalco
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe La
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aricò
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella De
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maria
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biotechnology Center, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Departments of Surgery, of Immunology, and of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
authors.forename: Soldano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrone
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buracco
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: selina.iussich@unito.it.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iussich
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000662:veterinary; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099216:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011509:Proteoglycans; D000099216:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4