Importance of E-cadherin expression in melanocytic tumours of the dog

What is it about?

E-cadherin is a glycoprotein involved in the spreading capability of human melanomas. We explored its expression in canine melanocytic tumours, finding that it is associated with histological diagnosis and invasiveness. However, it seems to be not an independent prognostic factor and needs to be evaluated together with other parameters.

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Photo by Sander Weeteling on Unsplash

Photo by Sander Weeteling on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We evaluated the expression of E-cadherin in cutaneous melanocytomas, cutaneous melanomas and oral melanomas of the dog. We showed that its expression was lower in cutaneous melanomas compared to melanocytomas, as well as in the most invasive and amelanotic tumours. We found that its down-regulation is associated with a poor clinical outcome in oral melanomas or amelanotic tumours. Hence, its evaluation can be useful to detect potentially aggressive neoplasms.