Lack of association between Epstein–Barr virus and mammary tumours in dogs
Published Online: Oct 23, 2018
Page range: 309 - 315
Received: Apr 09, 2018
Accepted: Aug 24, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2018-0045
Keywords
© 2018 G.A.R. López et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Introduction
Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a γ-herpesvirus associated with various neoplasms in humans and is a probable aetiological agent in breast cancer; however, a causal relationship has not yet been established. Because of the epidemiological and clinicopathological similarities between breast cancer and canine mammary tumours, dogs have been proposed as a valid model for breast cancer.
Material and Methods
A total of 47 canine mammary gland tumour tissues were processed by routine histopathological technique with haematoxylin-eosin staining and classified according to the type of neoplasm. DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissues and the EBNA-1 gene and the
Results
The histopathological evaluation revealed 2 benign neoplasms, and many carcinomas: 2
Conclusion
No association was found between EBV and mammary tumours in dogs. However, here we report for the first time the presence of an EBV gene sequence in a canine mammary tumour. It is likely that detection of EBV might be affected by the quality and quantity of DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tissues. Additional studies are necessary to establish any association of EBV with mammary gland cancer in humans and in dogs, which could eventually lead to better public health prevention and control.