Presence of Papillomavirus DNA sequences in the canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT)

BACKGROUND: The canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) or Sticker’s sarcoma is a neoplastic disease affecting dogs. This disease is presented as a tumoral mass in the genital organs of both, male and female individuals. Up to date, there is no clear evidence indicating a viral agent as the causative mediator for CTVT development. PURPOSE: The present work aims to analyze 21 samples from canines with CTVT for molecular identification of Papillomavirus DNA sequences. In addition, microbiological analysis, cytologic and histopathologic evaluations were also performed. RESULTS: All patients showed no biochemical and microbiological alterations. Molecular analysis demonstrated the viral DNA presence in the samples using different primer sets. The MY primers amplified a 450 bp band in seven out of 21 samples (33%). The PVF and Fap64 primer set, targeting the L1 sequence of Canine Papillomavirus (CPV), showed positivity in 16 out of 21 samples (76%). CONCLUSION: These results support the possible causative association between CPV and CTVT; nevertheless, additional studies are required to uphold such statement. This work presents evidence indicating that a viral agent might be involved in the pathogenesis of CTVT and set the bases for a better understanding of the CTVT pathobiology.