Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Prolactin Gene Is Associated With Clinical Aggressiveness and Outcome of Canine Mammary Malignant Tumors

Prolactin (PRL) is a key hormone involved in canine mammary development and tumorigenesis. In this study, the influence of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the PRL gene (rs23932236) on the clinicopathological parameters and survival of dogs with canine mammary tumors (CMTs) was investigated. A total of 206 female dogs with spontaneous mammary tumors were enrolled in this study and circulating blood cells were genotyped. This specific SNP was associated with larger size (>3 cm diameter) for malignant tumors ( P = .036), tumors with infiltrative/invasive growth pattern ( P = .010), vascular invasion ( P = .006), and lymph node metastasis ( P = .004). Carriers of the variant allele had a shorter overall survival compared to the wild-type population with an overall survival of 18.7 months and 22.7 months, respectively ( P = .004). These findings suggest that SNP rs23932236 of canine PRL gene may be used as an indicator for the development of clinically aggressive forms of CMTs.