Does TLS Exist in Canine Mammary Gland Tumours? Preliminary Results in Simple Carcinomas

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Studies on the tumour microenvironment show that part of the body’s defence against neoplastic cells is carried out directly in the tumour through the organization of immune cellular aggregates, called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). This study demonstrates the existence of TLS in canine mammary simple carcinomas, where some inflammatory infiltrates assume a follicle-like organization, especially in high-grade carcinomas and simulate the follicle of secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs). The role of TLS is controversial and it has been suggested that they contribute to an immunosuppressive environment or, on the contrary, have positive effects on neoplasm growth. Although canine mammary tumours have long been proposed as a model for studying breast cancer, there is still little research on the tumour stromal microenvironment in veterinary medicine and TLS evidence could allow for advances in understanding the process of tumour immunoediting. ABSTRACT: Neoplastic progression is influenced by the expression of tumour antigens that activate an anti-tumour immune response. Human medical studies show that this body defence is carried out in secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) but also directly in the tumour through organized cellular aggregates that are called tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs). However, their occurrence has different meanings in different tumour types. For example, the presence of TLSs in breast cancer is associated with the most aggressive subtypes. This paper aimed to study TLSs in canine mammary simple carcinomas. A morphological assessment of the inflammatory infiltrate was performed on H&E sections of fifty cases. Immunohistochemistry was then carried out to typify the inflammatory cells in the tumour microenvironment. Results showed that, sometimes, inflammatory infiltrates were organized in follicles close to high-grade carcinomas, simulating a lymphoid organization, as in breast cancer. Therefore, we can assume that even in canine mammary tumours, TLSs exist and they are entities to consider due to their presence in the most aggressive histotypes or tumours with a high degree of malignancy.