Renal microcystic tubular lesions in two 1Year-old dogs - an early sign of hereditary renal cystadenocarcinoma?

Clinical-epidemiological, anatomic-pathological, histochemical and immunohistochemical characterization of renal cystadenocarcinoma-nodular dermatofibrosis syndrome in 11 German Shepherd dogs

ABSTRACT: Eleven cases of renal cystadenoma/cystadenocarcinoma-nodular dermatofibrosis syndrome (RCND) are described in German Shepherd dogs diagnosed from January 1994 to January 2018 at the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory of the “Universidade Federal de Santa Maria” (LPV-UFSM). The study sample was composed of eight male and three female dogs at a ratio of 2.67:1. Age ranged from six to 12 years (mean=8.7 years). The main clinical signs reported in descending order of frequency were multiple cutaneous nodules (nodular dermatofibrosis), dyspnea, anorexia, weight loss, recurrent hematuria, vomiting, and polydipsia. Results demonstrated that it is not always easy to clinically recognize this syndrome, but its peculiar anatomical-pathological characteristics allow safe diagnosis. Histologically, it was possible to detect all phases (cysts, papillary intratubular hyperplasia, and cystadenomas or cystadenocarcinomas) of a possible pathological continuum of the renal lesions. Uterine leiomyomas were observed in only one of the cases. Through histochemical techniques, it was possible to identify the presence of type I collagen in both cutaneous and renal lesions and consider its possible involvement in the pathogenesis of renal cystadenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed partially satisfactory results in the staining of epithelial cells of renal cysts and neoplasms for pan-cytokeratin.

Breed-predispositions to cancer in pedigree dogs

Cancer is a common problem in dogs and although all breeds of dog and crossbred dogs may be affected, it is notable that some breeds of pedigree dogs appear to be at increased risk of certain types of cancer suggesting underlying genetic predisposition to cancer susceptibility. Although the aetiology of most cancers is likely to be multifactorial, the limited genetic diversity seen in purebred dogs facilitates genetic linkage or association studies on relatively small populations as compared to humans, and by using newly developed resources, genome-wide association studies in dog breeds are proving to be a powerful tool for unravelling complex disorders. This paper will review the literature on canine breed susceptibility to histiocytic sarcoma, osteosarcoma, haemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumours, lymphoma, melanoma, and mammary tumours including the recent advances in knowledge through molecular genetic, cytogenetic, and genome wide association studies.

Franklin H. Epstein Lecture. Both ends of the leash--the human links to good dogs with bad genes

For nearly 350 years, veterinary medicine and human medicine have been separate entities, with one geared toward the diagnosis and treatment in animals and the other toward parallel goals in the owners. However, that model no longer fits, since research on diseases of humans and companion animals has coalesced.^– The catalyst for this union has been the completion of the human genome sequence, coupled with draft sequence assemblies of genomes for companion animals.^, Here, we summarize the critical events in canine genetics and genomics that have led to this development, review major applications in canine health that will be of interest to human caregivers, and discuss expectations for the future.

Leading the way: canine models of genomics and disease

In recent years Canis familiaris, the domestic dog, has drawn considerable attention as a system in which to investigate the genetics of disease susceptibility, morphology and behavior. Because dogs show remarkable intrabreed homogeneity, coupled with striking interbreed heterogeneity, the dog offers unique opportunities to understand the genetic underpinnings of natural variation in mammals, a portion of which is disease susceptibility. In this review, we highlight the unique features of the dog, such as population diversity and breed structure, that make it particularly amenable to genetic studies. We highlight recent advances in understanding the architecture of the dog genome, which propel the system to the forefront of consideration when selecting a system for disease gene studies. The most notable benefit of using the dog for genetic studies is that dogs get many of the same diseases as humans, with a similar frequency, and the same genetic factors are often involved. We discuss two approaches for localizing disease genes in the dog and provide examples of ongoing studies.

Canine neoplasia--introductory paper

The paper gives a brief introduction to canine oncology, including its comparative aspects as basis for recording tumours in the animal kingdom. In an abbreviated presentation of the Norwegian Canine Cancer Project for the years 1990-1998, the data (n=14,401) were divided into age groups, each of two years, into different categories of tumours, and into age and gender. As expected, cutaneous histiocytoma was the dominant tumour type in both sexes during the two first years of life. In the age group 2-3.99 years histiocytoma was still the largest group in males, but was surpassed by benign epithelial skin tumours in females. After the age of 4 years, benign epithelial skin tumours constituted the greatest circumscribed group in males, and mammary tumours in females, although the summated other tumours, not explained in this survey, dominated overall in males. Maligancies (cancer) were shown in the same way, by corresponding groups of gender and age. While mastocytoma was the most common tumour and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma the second most common during the two first years of life in females, the situation was reversed in males. Later, mammary tumours dominated in females, while different tumour types not further specified in this summarized report dominated in males, until the end of the age registration (above 14 years). Number, sex and location of most common tumours are shown in a tabular outline. Comparative aspects between human and dog tumours are considered: mammary and testicular neoplasia seemed more frequent in dogs than in humans in Norway, while intestinal, pulmonary and prostatic malignancies were less common in dogs. In our study, vascular tumours and tumour-like lesions constituted about 3% of the total data. As benign vascular tumours are incompletely reported to the human Cancer Registry, no dependable comparison may be made, but malignant vascular tumours have been on the rise during the last decades in the Norwegian human population, more so in men then in women. Finally, the article deals briefly with the development of endothelial cells, and the sparse information on causal factors of vascular tumours.

Generalized Nodular Dermatofibrosis in the Absence of Renal Neoplasia in an Australian Cattle Dog

A 13-year-old, spayed, female Australian Cattle Dog had at least a 10-year history of numerous subcutaneous nodules for which fine-needle aspiration and cytologic evaluation were nondiagnostic. Abdominal ultrasound 3.5 months before necropsy detected a small left kidney but no cysts or neoplasms. At gross necropsy, innumerable, firm, round to oval, white, 0.25 to 2 cm masses were detected throughout the subcutaneous tissues of the axial and appendicular skeleton, epimysium of numerous muscles, and parietal peritoneum of the lateral abdominal body wall. The left kidney was approximately half the size of the right, and there was severe bilateral renal medullary (papillary) necrosis. Histologically, the subcutaneous nodules were well-demarcated masses of mature, hypocellular collagen that were consistent with previous reports of nodular dermatofibrosis and renal cystadenomas or cystadenocarcinomas. In addition to diffuse acute medullary necrosis, both kidneys were affected by severe chronic lymphoplasmacytic interstitial nephritis. This is the first known report of nodular dermatofibrosis in a dog without renal cysts, cystadenoma, or cystadenocarcinoma.

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes in dogs and cats: a review of the literature

Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes are a group of noncancerous dermatoses associated with internal malignancy. Their recognition can facilitate detection and timely treatment of underlying cancer. More than 30 such disorders have been identified in the human scientific literature, whereas only a few are described in veterinary medicine. This may reflect a lower incidence in animals than in people or may be the result of failure to recognize an association between certain skin lesions and neoplasia. Establishing a relationship between a cutaneous disorder and neoplasia can be difficult unless the skin lesions are rare and almost always associated with a particular tumour type, as is the case for most recognized veterinary paraneoplastic dermatoses. Among these are feline paraneoplastic alopecia, feline thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis, nodular dermatofibrosis, feminization syndrome associated with testicular tumours, superficial necrolytic dermatitis and paraneoplastic pemphigus. The aetiology of most cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes has remained elusive in both people and animals.