Claudin-5 protein is a new differential marker for histopathological differential diagnosis of canine hemangiosarcoma
Cs. Jakab1*, J. Halász2, A. Kiss2, Z. Schaff2, M. Rusvai1, P. Gálfi3, T.Z. Abonyi4 and J. Kulka2
1Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary, 22nd Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, 3Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Budapest, Hungary and 4Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, Budapest, Hungary.
Offprint requests to: Csab Jakab, Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, 1078 István utca 2, Budapest, Hungary. e-mail: Jakab.Csaba@aotk.szie.hu
Summary. Aims: Claudin-5 protein is an endothel-specific claudin, present in tight junctions. To evaluate its usefulness as a differential diagnostic marker of canine hemangiosarcomas, the expression of claudin-5 molecule was studied in different canine tumours of vascular origin. Methods and results: Ninety two canine neoplastic tissue samples obtained from necropsies and biopsy specimens were routinely processed and stained immunohistochemically for claudin-5. The neoplastic endothelial cells of canine hemangiosarcomas, hemangiomas, and lymphangiomas showed a strong membrane immunoreactivity for claudin-5, but the other investigated canine malignant and benign tumours, including fibrosarcomas, myxo-, leiomyo-, cardiac rhabdomyo-, neurofibro-, synovial-, osteo-, and chondrosarcomas, spindle cell melanomas, hemangiopericytomas, benign fibroblast proliferations, and leiomyomas were negative for this endothelial marker. In these non-vascular canine tumours intense immunostaining was detected in the endothelial cells of the incorporated intratumoural vessels and neovasculature. The canine splenic hematomas induced by hemangiosarcomas were distinguished from splenic hematomas induced by non-neoplastic lesions by the means of claudin-5 protein. In hemangiosarcomas the percentage of positive neoplastic endothelial cells was higher, and stronger when using the claudin-5 molecule compared to CD31 and vWf. Conclusion: The results show that claudin-5 molecule can be used as a new differential marker, and could also be of a diagnostic value in the differential diagnosis of canine hemangiosarcomas from sarcomas of other origin with hemorrhages or increased vascularization. Claudin-5 could help to reveal neoplastic proliferation of endothelial cells causing splenic hematomas and differentiate these tumours from non-vascular neoplastic splenic lesion. The immunohistochemical detection of the claudin-5 protein had a higher sensitivity than CD31, and vWf antigen in case of canine hemangiosarcomas. Histol Histopathol 24, 801-813 (2009)
Key words: Canine hemangiosarcoma, Immuno-histochemistry, Claudin-5, Differential diagnosis, Canine splenic hematoma
DOI: 10.14670/HH-24.801