The purpose of the study presented here is to show the possibilities of flow cytometric analysis for immunophenotypic characterization of canine malignant lymphoma. Aspiration biopsies from lymph nodes of 30 dogs with multicentric lymphoma were stained by four dog-specific antibodies and three human-specific antibodies cross-reacting with canine lymphocytes, and analysed by flow cytometry. Twenty of the 30 lymphoma examined were characterized as B-cell-lymphoma and 10 as T-cell-lymphoma. Flow cytometry is a suitable method for the immunophenotypic analysis of canine lymphoma. Contrary to immunohistochemistry, no surgically produced lymph node biopsy is required and the results are available within a few hours.

No abstract

No abstract

Flow cytometry measures multiple characteristics of single cells. The use of flow cytometry in the veterinary clinical laboratory has increased considerably during the past decade. The most common applications of flow cytometry in small animal oncology are measurement of DNA content in tumours and immunophenotyping of haematopoietic malignancies. DNA ploidy and S-phase rate of various tumours in dogs have been found to be independent predictor of patient outcome. In dogs with lymphomas immunophenotyping is recommended as a part of the patient work-up. Flow cytometry has shown to be a suitable method for immunophenotyping of canine lymphomas. However, it has not become a routine technique in small animal oncology yet. This report reviews the applications of flow cytometry in small animal oncology. Besides basic principles and technical aspects, the clinical relevance of DNA-analysis and immunophenotyping are discussed.

ZusammenfassungBei einer wegen Apathie, Kachexie und intermittierenden Erbrechens in der Klinik vorgestellten männlichen Europäischen Kurzhaarkatze wurde ein multiples Myelom diagnostiziert. Die Röntgenaufnahmen zeigten multiple lytische Knochenläsionen im Bereich der Wirbelsäule, der Rippen, des Beckens sowie dem Skelett der Ober- und Unterschenkel. Die Blutuntersuchung ergab eine Hypergammaglobulinämie, eine Hyperkalzämie, eine Azotämie sowie eine regenerative hämolytische Anämie. Die Serumelektrophorese sowie eine histopathologische Untersuchung des Knochenmarks bestätigten die Diagnose. In der immunhistochemischen Untersuchung reagierten die Tumorzellen mit Antikörpern gegen IgG und gegen Lambda-Leichtketten.