title: Reduced expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin and high expression of basal cytokeratins in feline mammary carcinomas with regional metastasis.
abstract: Feline mammary carcinomas are highly aggressive neoplasms. Several mechanisms are thought to be involved in their progression, including the loss of epithelial adhesion molecules. The present study was carried out on 21 adenomas and 139 mammary carcinomas. Of the carcinomas, 66 were not reported to have metastasized, while the remaining 73 had evidence of regional lymph node metastasis at the moment of diagnosis. The relationship was examined between the expression of the E-cadherin-β-catenin complex and basal (CK5/6, CK14) and luminal (CK8/18) cytokeratin expression. In the medical literature, carcinomas expressing basal cytokeratins are reported as having a poor prognosis in human breast cancer. Results revealed that preservation of the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin is a significant feature of carcinomas without metastasis, whereas carcinomas with metastasis reveal the loss of one or both adhesion molecules. Additionally, basal cytokeratin expression was statistically associated with the presence of regional metastasis. Furthermore, the expression of E-cadherin-β-catenin was significantly correlated with the high expression of CK18 and low expression of CK5/6.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peñafiel-Verdu
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Buendia
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vilafranca
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altimira
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading / Q000662:veterinary; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D014746:Vimentin; D051176:beta Catenin; D007633:Keratins