Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER), Kurumbapet, Pondicherry-605 009, India
*Corresponding Author: P.L. Leena Rajathy, Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER), Kurumbapet, Pondicherry-605 009, India. e-mail: leenavet@gmail.com
Online published on 22 January, 2020.
Mammary gland tumors are the most commonly diagnosed tumors in domestic dogs. Although immunohistochemical methods provide valuable information such as the location and semi-quantitative data of the interested antigens in particular tumors, conventional methods like histopathological diagnosis remain useful and necessary for identification and classification of tumors. In the present study, we combined histopathology with immunohistochemical staining for progesterone receptor (PR) and special staining argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR) for cell proliferation in canine mammary gland tumors. Twenty-nine dogs with primary mammary gland neoplasms (11 benign and 18 malignant) were included in this study. All 29 tumors were stained with AgNOR but only 15 cases expressed positive PR signals in the nuclei of neoplastic alveolar and ductal epithelial cells. A weak positive correlation (r = 0.2) was observed between PR and AgNOR index of benign tumors and a very weak negative correlation (r =-0.1833) between PR and AgNOR index of malignant tumors suggesting that higher cellular proliferation is associated with low expression of progesterone receptors.
Mammary tumors, AgNOR staining, Progesterone receptor, Steroid hormones
