E-CADHERIN AND β-CATENIN EXPRESSION IN CUTANEOUS SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS OF DOGS

SANZ RESSEL B.L., MASSONE A.R., BARBEITO C.G.

CABA

Jornada; XX Jornadas Anuales de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología y XVII Jornadas de la Sociedad Uruguaya de Biociencias; 2018

Sociedad Argentina de Biología

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) represents one of the most common malignant neoplasms of the dog skin. Research aimed at clarifying how the deregulated activity of different molecules contributes to CSCC progression can help to identify molecular suitable targets for the development of novel therapies. In this regard, different studies have demonstrated that the downregulation of the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin contribute to the invasive and metastatic behavior of the cancer cells in human CSCCs. The propose of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression pattern of E-cadherin and β-catenin on sections of two tissue microarrays constructed from 17 samples of normal epidermis, 12 samples of preneoplastic epidermis and 150 samples of CCEC of dogs, to elucidate the involvement of E-cadherin-β-catenin adhesion system in the progression of canine CSCC. In the normal canine epidermis, β-catenin and E-cadherin were expressed in the membrane of the epidermal cells of the basal, spinous and granular stratum. In the preneoplastic epidermis, the membrane immunoreactivity of β-catenin and E-cadherin was conserved, whereas a significant reduction or loss of the membrane expression of both proteins was observed in CSCCs. These findings show that the dysregulated activity of the β-catenin and E-cadherin may play an important role in the acquisition of malignant phenotype of the keratinocytes and tumor progression during the canine epidermal carcinogenesis process.