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. 2024 Dec 12;14(24):3588.
doi: 10.3390/ani14243588.

Expression of αv Integrin in Feline Injection-Site Sarcoma (FISS): Preliminary Investigations

Andrea Cappelleri  1 , Eleonora Brambilla  1 , Lavinia E Chiti  2 , Alessia Trapletti  1 , Gaia B M Bianchi  1 , Mauro Di Giancamillo  1 , Valeria Grieco  1 , Chiara Giudice  1
Affiliations

Expression of αv Integrin in Feline Injection-Site Sarcoma (FISS): Preliminary Investigations

Andrea Cappelleri et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Feline injection-site sarcomas (FISSs) are malignant skin tumors of mesenchymal origin arising at local post-vaccination (or injection) sites. In recent years, a fluorescence imaging technique based on probes targeting αvβ3 integrin has been effectively applied for the surgical complete resection of the tumor. In our study, we investigated the utility of a commercially available anti-αv integrin polyclonal antibody for the histopathological evaluation of FISS's surgical excision margins. We collected 10 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) feline excisional biopsies with a histopathological diagnosis of FISS (7 fibrosarcomas and 3 pleomorphic sarcomas) and wide margin tissue, along with one subcutaneous injection-site granuloma and 6 osteosarcomas. Samples were processed for histology, and slides were stained for IHC with the anti-αv integrin antibody. Immunostained slides were evaluated for the cellular localization and intensity of the staining in different neoplastic and non-neoplastic cell populations. Neoplastic and non-neoplastic spindle cells had cytoplasmic positivity in all fibrosarcomas. Inflammatory cells, including macrophages of the injection-site granuloma, were negative. Multinucleated giant cells in the pleomorphic sarcomas had an intense membranous positivity. Although the anti-αv integrin antibody was ineffective for the histopathological evaluation of surgical excision margins, the membranous localization of αv integrin in multinucleated giant cells of pleomorphic sarcomas suggests that it plays a role in the oncogenesis of this FISS variant.

Keywords: FISS; fibrosarcoma; immunohistochemistry; injection-site granuloma; integrin; pleomorphic sarcoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
FISS, fibrosarcoma. Moderate cytoplasmic positivity for αv integrin. Note the presence of at least 2 mitotic figures in the field (arrowheads). IHC for αv integrin, 400×.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FISS, pleomorphic sarcoma. (a) Spindle neoplastic cells are mostly negative for αv integrin, whereas round and multinucleated giant neoplastic cells display intense membranous labeling. (b) Detail of 2 voluminous multinucleated giant neoplastic cells displaying strong membranous labeling. IHC for αv integrin, 400×.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FISS, margin of fibrosarcoma. Fibroblasts have diffuse, mild-to-moderate cytoplasmic positivity for αv integrin, whereas fibrocytes are mildly stained or negative (arrowhead). IHC for αv integrin, 400×.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Injection-site granuloma. Macrophages and other inflammatory cells are negative for αv integrin. IHC for αv integrin, 400×.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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