title: Clinicopathological significance of caspase-3 and Ki-67 expression in canine mammary gland tumours.
abstract: Fifty canine mammary gland tumours (CMGT) (18 benign and 32 malignant) were studied by immunohistochemical detection of active caspase-3 and Ki-67 antigens in order to determine their association with several clinicopathological parameters. The percentage of caspase-3 positive cells was significantly higher in benign tumours as compared to their malignant counterparts (P ≤ 0.001). In the group of malignant tumours there was no significant association between active caspase-3 and the clinicopathological variables considered. The percentage of Ki- 67 positive cells was significantly higher in malignant tumours compared to the benign ones (P ≤ 0.001). In the group of malignant tumours, Ki-67 expression showed a statistically significant association with tumour size (P = 0.025), histological type (P = 0.010), mitotic grade (P ≤ 0.001), nuclear grade (P = 0.025), differentiation grade (P = 0.004), histological grade of malignancy (P = 0.002), and presence of metastases in regional lymph nodes (P = 0.025). Furthermore, this study revealed a negative correlation between the percentages of active caspase-3 and Ki-67 (r = -0.39; P = 0.04). Thus, our results suggest a loss of balance between cell death and cell division in CMGT.
  
  
  
  Apoptosis, caspase-3, Ki.
authors.affiliation: CECAV, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: CECAV, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: CECAV, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: CECAV, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.
authors.forename: Justina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|Center for the Study of Animal Sciences, CECA-ICETA, University of Porto , Porto , Portugal.|Center for Research and Technology of Agro-Environment and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro , 5001-801 Vila Real , Portugal.
authors.forename: Felisbina L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Queiroga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: Apoptosis; Ki-67; canine mammary gland tumour; caspase-3; proliferation