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- Title
Vulvo-vaginal epithelial tumors in mares: A preliminary investigation on epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor-immune microenvironment.
- Authors
Armando, Federico; Porcellato, Ilaria; de Paolis, Livia; Mecocci, Samanta; Passeri, Benedetta; Ciurkiewicz, Małgorzata; Mechelli, Luca; Grazia De Ciucis, Chiara; Pezzolato, Marzia; Fruscione, Floriana; Brachelente, Chiara; Montemurro, Vittoria; Cappelli, Katia; Puff, Christina; Baumgärtner, Wolfgang; Ghelardi, Alessandro; Razzuoli, Elisabetta
- Abstract
Vulvo-vaginal epithelial tumors are uncommon in mares, and data on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) are still lacking. This is a study investigating the equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (EcPV2) infection state as well as the EMT process and the tumor microenvironment in vulvo-vaginal preneoplastic/ benign (8/22) or malignant (14/22) epithelial lesions in mares. To do this, histopathological, immunohistochemical, transcriptomic, in situ hybridization, and correlation analyses were carried out. Immunohistochemistry quantification showed that cytoplasmic E-cadherin and β-catenin expression as well as nuclear β-catenin expression were features of malignant lesions, while benign/preneoplastic lesions were mainly characterized by membranous E-cadherin and β-catenin expression. Despite this, there were no differences between benign and malignant equine vulvo-vaginal lesions in the expression of downstream genes involved in the canonical and noncanonical wnt/β-catenin pathways. In addition, malignant lesions were characterized by a lower number of cells with cytoplasmic cytokeratin expression as well as a slightly higher cytoplasmic vimentin immunolabeling. The TIME of malignant lesions was characterized by more numerous CD204+ M2-polarized macrophages. Altogether, our results support the hypothesis that some actors in TIME such as CD204+ M2-polarized macrophages may favor the EMT process in equine vulvo-vaginal malignant lesions providing new insights for future investigations in the field of equine EcPV2-induced genital neoplastic lesions.
- Subjects
EPITHELIAL tumors; EPITHELIAL-mesenchymal transition; HORSES; MARES; WNT signal transduction; PRECANCEROUS conditions
- Publication
Veterinary Pathology, 2024, Vol 61, Issue 3, p366
- ISSN
0300-9858
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/03009858231207025