Determination of serum values of osteopontin in normal dogs or dogs bearing breast carcinoma metastatic or not. Clinical and anatomopathological correlations.

Abstract

The Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein expressed by several cells and it has great implication with the development of mammary tumors and in the dissemination of metastasis in human beings. In dogs, there are no studies involving neoplasia and OPN. The present report aims to establish the serum OPN concentrations in dogs without the presence of mammary tumors and with the presence of mammary carcinoma, with and without macroscopic evidence of metastasis. For this purpose, the enzyme-linked immonosorbent assay (ELISA) will be used, from the plasma collected at three moments (basal, post-surgery and after chemotherapy) of healthy and affected animals. The information of the assay as well as the radiographic evaluations for the metastasis evidence, histopathologic, hematologic and serum biochemistry aspects will be later faced and analysed by variance analysis and test t. The present report intends to correlate the serum levels of OPN with the development of the tumor, metastasis dissemination and the response to therapy.