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Prognostic value of tumour‐associated macrophages in canine mammary tumours
Author(s) -
Raposo T.,
Gregório H.,
Pires I.,
Prada J.,
Queiroga F. L.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
veterinary and comparative oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.864
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1476-5829
pISSN - 1476-5810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5829.2012.00326.x
Subject(s) - immunohistochemistry , medicine , breast cancer , cancer research , breast tumours , pathology , cancer , oncology
Tumour‐associated macrophages ( TAMs ) have already been associated in human breast cancer to a poor prognosis. As a part of a tumoural microenvironment, TAMs have an important contribution influencing neoplastic progression. Hitherto, in canine mammary tumours ( CMT ) the prognostic value of TAMs has not been reported. In this study, MAC387 immunohistochemical expression was evaluated in 59 CMTs (20 benign and 39 malignant). The TAM value was significantly higher in malignant than benign CMT ( P = 0.011). In malignant CMT , TAMs were associated with skin ulceration ( P = 0.022), histological type ( P = 0.044), nuclear grade ( P = 0.031) and tubular differentiation ( P = 0.042). The survival analysis revealed a significant association between tumours with higher levels of TAMs and the decrease in overall survival ( P = 0.030). TAMs have proven to have a prognostic value. These findings suggest the future possibility of using TAMs as a novel therapeutic target in CMT .