Diagnostic Value of VEGF-A, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in Feline Mammary Carcinoma

Simple Summary: Feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) is the third most common neoplasia in the cat, showing a highly malignant behavior, with both HER2-positive and triple negative (TN) subtypes presenting worse prognosis than luminal A and B subtypes. Furthermore, FMC has become a reliable cancer model for the study of human breast cancer, due to the similarities of clinicopathological, histopathological, and epidemiological features among the two species. Therefore, the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets is needed to improve the clinical outcome of these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of the VEGF-A/VEGFRs pathway, in order to validate future diagnostic and checkpoint-blocking therapies. Results showed that serum VEGF-A, VEGFR-1, and VEGFR-2 levels were significantly higher in cats with HER2-positive and TN normal-like tumors, presenting a positive association with its tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expression, suggesting that these molecules may serve as promising non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for these subtypes. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) plays an essential role in tumor-associated angiogenesis, exerting its biological activity by binding and activating membrane receptors, as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 and 2 (VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2). In this study, serum VEGF-A, VEGFR-1, and VEGFR-2 levels were quantified in 50 cats with mammary carcinoma and 14 healthy controls. The expression of these molecules in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and in cancer cells was evaluated and compared with its serum levels. Results obtained showed that serum VEGF-A levels were significantly higher in cats with HER2-positive and Triple Negative (TN) Normal-Like subtypes, when compared to control group (p = 0.001, p = 0.020). Additionally, serum VEGFR-1 levels were significantly elevated in cats presenting luminal A, HER2-positive and TN Normal-Like tumors (p = 0.011, p = 0.048, p = 0.006), as serum VEGFR-2 levels (p = 0.010, p = 0.046, p = 0.005). Moreover, a positive interaction was found between the expression of VEGF-A, VEGFR-1, and VEGFR-2 in TILs and their serum levels (p = 0.002, p = 0.003, p = 0.003). In summary, these findings point to the usefulness of VEGF-A and its serum receptors assessment in clinical evaluation of cats with HER2-positive and TN Normal-Like tumors, suggesting that targeted therapies against these molecules may be effective for the treatment of these animals, as described in human breast cancer.