title: Canine cutaneous melanocytic tumours: significance of β-catenin and survivin immunohistochemical expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent investigations have highlighted the controversial role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation in human cutaneous melanoma. Survivin has been proposed as a valid prognostic marker for invasive and metastatic melanomas and lymph node melanoma metastasis in human cutaneous melanoma and is a promising therapeutic target.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of survivin and β-catenin in canine cutaneous melanocytic tumours, in order to understand their prognostic significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one melanocytic tumours (10 melanocytomas and 11 melanomas) were investigated by immunohistochemistry using specific anti-survivin and anti-β-catenin antibodies. A semi-quantitative method was used to analyse the results; β-catenin immunolabelling in neoplastic cells was evaluated as cytoplasmic, membranous or nuclear. The number of survivin-positive cells was counted within ~1000 neoplastic cells. Results were related to histopathological features, evaluated in haematoxylin- and eosin-stained slides, and to the clinical data obtained through a telephone survey with referring veterinarians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite a low level of expression in the majority of cases, β-catenin was found to be correlated strongly with malignant behaviour (P < 0.01). An overexpression of nuclear survivin was statistically related to histological features of malignancy, presence of metastasis and death related to melanoma spread (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low nuclear β-catenin expression, mainly found in metastatic cases, would indicate that β-catenin activation may have only limited importance in the development or progression of canine cutaneous melanoma. The correlation of nuclear survivin expression with malignancy would indicate that survivin is possibly a useful prognostic marker and therapeutic target in canine melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza A. Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bongiovanni
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza A. Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, Perugia, 06126, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Porcellato
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Political Science, University of Teramo, Campus Coste Sant'Agostino, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciccarelli
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza A. Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malatesta
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza A. Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romanucci
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza A. Moro 45, Teramo, 64100, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Della Salda
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, Perugia, 06126, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mechelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, Perugia, 06126, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brachelente
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin