CD4+, CD8+, FoxP3+ and HSP60+ expressions in cellular infiltrate of canine mammary carcinoma in mixed tumor

ABSTRACT

Background: Cancer is a complex process that receive many influences of the tumor microenvironment. The participation of immune system cells and proteins in tumor microenvironment is not yet completely understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the infiltrate cellular, subpopulations of T-lymphocytes and HSP60 of canine mammary carcinoma in mixed tumor (CMCMT).Materials, Methods & Results: Female dogs (n = 20) were selected after Canine mammary tumor (CMT) diagnosis and data were achieved throughout clinical-pathological information. Clinical staging was evaluated and tumor biopsies were processed by histology and cellular infiltrate was performed according criteria and grade. Survival curve were generated by Kaplan-Meier and the lymphocytic infiltrate were compared by Log-Rank followed Chi-Square χ². For immunolabeling it was used anti-CD4, anti-CD8, anti-FoxP3 and HSP60 monoclonal antibodies and were attributed scores from 0 to 3. Clinical-pathological relationship was analyzed using Spearman correlation. This study was approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research using Animals (CEUA-UECE), protocol 12247080-2. Our data showed a mean age of 9.3 years-old, the size of tumors presented more than 5 cm (50%), which were located in inguinal mammary glands (70%), and CMTs shows I (70%) and II (30%) grade. The cellular infiltrate was distributed both in peri and intratumoral regions, dispersed multifocally with moderate intensity and lymphocytes were the major populations found into tumors (n = 826 ± 220). In relationship to cellular infiltrate with CMT grade it was observed that lymphocytes (ρ = 0.28) and plasma cells (ρ = 0.22) showed a slight positive correlation, and an opposed negative correlation of neutrophils (ρ = -0.1) and macrophages (ρ = -0.38). CMT presents moderate lymphocytic infiltrate (< 800 lymphocytes), shows higher (P = 0.01) survival rates as compared to intense lymphocytic infiltrate (≥ 800 lymphocytes).[...]