Next-generation Dna Sequencing of Vh/vλ Repertoires in Female Dogs With Hyperplasia or Canine Mammary Cancer

Canine mammary cancer (CMCs) are common in female dogs and the main cause of animal deaths by cancer. Since the immune system is an active player in breast cancer, our goal was to better understand the immune repertoires associated with breast cancer in female dog patients. Therefore, we generated a dataset of expressed immunoglobulin VH and Vλ repertoires from hyperplastic and tumoral tissues of female dogs using Illumina genomic sequencing. Our results showed immune system modulation in breast tumors and hyperplastic lesions. A dataset consisting of 18,000 unique sequences of gene segments encoding immunoglobulin variable regions expressed in canines was acquired. Further analysis revealed a small number of sequences with high repetition as well as a previously unsequenced and highly variable D portion of the immunoglobulin. Comparative analysis of the D-region showed a high similarity with antibodies from different animal species, emphasizing the need to expand and improve antibody databases for dogs and other animal species. These findings could aid in developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for CMCs and other cancers in animals.