Abstract
Adult male mongrel dogs were subcutaneously transplanted with the canine transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) on the hypogastric region. Twelve specimens of tumors were collected, half during the proliferative phase and the other half during the regressive phase. Fragments of the tumor were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and routinely processed for light microscopy. Sections of 4µm were stained by Schorr or AgNOR or either immunostained for MIB1 (Ki67). Schorr stain, AgNOR and MIB1 showed an increased proliferative activity through mitotic index, nuclear argyrophilic protein stain and cycling tumoral cells in the growing tumors, respectively. All of the three cell proliferation markers were able to distinguish the TVT in both evolution phases. MIB1 monoclonal antibody was the best in the morphologic evaluation of growth and regression of TVT. This resulted in higher values than AgNORs counting and mitotic index. MIB1 immunostaining was the most effective parameter of the proliferative activity of TVT. However, a significant correlation has been detected only between mitosis counting and AgNORs.
Highlights
The canine transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) is an undifferentiated neoplasm of round cells that is sexually transmitted and installs primarily in the genital organs of both sexes
The counting of mitotic figures has been utilized to evaluate the cellular proliferation in tumor sections stained by HE (Kreipe et al, 1995)
The mitotic index was higher in growing phases than in regressive phases of the TVT
Summary
The canine transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) is an undifferentiated neoplasm of round cells that is sexually transmitted and installs primarily in the genital organs of both sexes. The number of proliferative cells constitutes an important parameter in the prognosis of several different tumors (Quinn and Wright, 1990; Robenhorst et al, 1993). Among the methods developed to evaluate the growth of a neoplasia are the determination of the mitotic index and the detection of proliferative markers through histochemical and immunohistochemical reactions. They are the most useful and commonly applied methods (Robenhorst et al, 1993). Determining the number of mitoses through the traditional morphological approach in routine stained slides is still very important for the prognosis (Kreipe et al, 1995)
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