Upregulated MYC expression and p53 mutations may contribute to the oncogenesis of canine Meibomian gland carcinomas

• Published in: Veterinary pathology Vol. 60; no. 2; pp. 185 - 189
• Main Authors: Peterson, Cornelia, Hicks, J. L., De Marzo, A. M., Campbell, A. A., Eberhart, C. G., Dubielzig, R. R., Teixeira, L. B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.03.2023
• Subjects: Adenoma - pathology; Adenoma - veterinary; adipophilin; animal pathology; Animals; carcinogenesis; Carcinoma, Basal Cell - veterinary; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Dog Diseases; Dogs; eyelids; Humans; immunohistochemistry; Meibomian Glands - metabolism; Meibomian Glands - pathology; Mutation; neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms - chemistry; Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms - metabolism; Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms - pathology; Sebaceous Gland Neoplasms - veterinary; Skin Neoplasms - veterinary; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Meibomian gland (MG); adenoma; carcinoma; MYC; canine; adipophilin; p53
• ISSN: 0300-9858; 1544-2217; 1544-2217
• DOI: 10.1177/03009858221143400

Sebaceous carcinomas of the human ocular adnexa commonly exhibit pagetoid spread, mutations in tumor-suppressor genes, and protooncogene copy number gain. Sebaceous carcinomas are rarely reported in other species, and while the Meibomian gland (MG) represents the most common ocular adnexal structure of the canine eyelid to develop neoplasia, most are clinically and histologically benign. The objective of this study was to compare molecular features of canine MG carcinomas and adenomas. Two retrospectively identified MG carcinomas were subject to immunohistochemistry and qPCR. When compared with normal glands, MYC was upregulated in benign and malignant MG neoplasms. Aberrant p53 expression was restricted to the nuclei of intraepithelial neoplastic cells in MG carcinomas. Adipophilin expression was diminished in MG neoplasms compared with the normal MG. Our findings, if confirmed in a larger cohort of cases, could suggest that MG oncogenesis in a dog may exhibit similar molecular features as their human counterparts.