Abstract
BackgroundTesticular tumours are common in dogs and in many cases do not give rise to clinical signs. In other cases, signs of feminization, hyperpigmentation or alopecia may be observed, most commonly associated with Sertoli cell tumours (SCT). Although these signs are often associated with elevated concentrations of oestradiol, analysis of oestradiol may give inconclusive results due to large variations among individuals. Other biomarkers are therefore needed. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is expressed by the Sertoli cell. In humans, AMH has been shown to be a specific marker of Sertoli cell origin in gonadal tumours. Using immunohistochemistry, AMH has been shown to be a useful marker of immature and neoplastic Sertoli cells in dogs. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical relevance of AMH analysis in peripheral blood in the diagnostic workup of dogs with suspected testicular tumours.ResultsBlood was collected from 20 dogs with a palpable testicular mass and from 27 healthy controls. Serum was analysed for oestradiol-17β using a RIA and for AMH using an ELISA. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare hormone concentrations between different groups.All control dogs had AMH concentrations ≤ 10 ng/mL, except one outlier that had a concentration of 43 ng/mL. Six dogs with SCT or mixed tumours containing SCT had AMH concentrations higher than 22 ng/mL, significantly higher than AMH concentrations in control dogs (P = 0.0004). Concentrations between 10 and 22 ng/mL were found in about half of the dogs with non-neoplastic testicular pathologies or with testicular tumours other than SCTs. Age did not significantly affect concentrations of AMH in the control dogs.ConclusionAMH was shown to be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of Sertoli cell tumours in dogs.
Highlights
Testicular tumours are common in dogs and in many cases do not give rise to clinical signs
Bone marrow hypoplasia is a life-threatening condition associated with oestrogen production of tumours, most often Sertoli cell tumours (SCT), and dogs may develop clinical signs related to bone marrow hypoplasia before the owner has noted other clinical signs related to oestrogen production [15]
Dogs In total, 20 dogs admitted for castration because of a palpable testicular mass and 27 healthy control dogs with both testicles descended in the testes and no testicular masses identified by palpation were included in the study
Summary
Testicular tumours are common in dogs and in many cases do not give rise to clinical signs. Signs of feminization, hyperpigmentation or alopecia may be observed, most commonly associated with Sertoli cell tumours (SCT). These signs are often associated with elevated concentrations of oestradiol, analysis of oestradiol may give inconclusive results due to large variations among individuals. Besides a palpable testicular mass, common clinical signs when present are feminization with gynecomastia, hyperpigmentation of the skin and bilateral alopecia. Infertility has been described [11] These signs are observed mainly in dogs with Sertoli-cell tumours and occasionally with Leydig cell tumours or seminoma [9, 12, 13]. Once dogs show clinical signs of bone marrow hypoplasia, the prognosis is guarded [15,16,17]
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