AUTHOR=De Biase Davide , Prisco Francesco , Piegari Giuseppe , Ilsami Arianna , d'Aquino Ilaria , Baldassarre Valeria , Zito Marino Federica , Franco Renato , Papparella Serenella , Paciello Orlando 

TITLE=RNAScope in situ Hybridization as a Novel Technique for the Assessment of c-KIT mRNA Expression in Canine Mast Cell Tumor

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.591961

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2021.591961

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>RNA is considered as an indicator of the dynamic genetic expression changes in a cell. RNAScope is a commercially available <italic>in situ</italic> hybridization assay for the detection of RNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. In this work, we describe the use of RNAScope as a sensitive and specific method for the evaluation of <italic>c-KIT</italic> messenger RNA (mRNA) in canine mast cell tumor. We investigated the expression of <italic>c-KIT</italic> mRNA with RNAscope in 60 canine mast cell tumors (MCTs), comparing it with the histological grade and KIT immunohistochemical expression patterns. Our results showed an overall good expression of <italic>c-KIT</italic> mRNA in neoplastic cells if compared with control probes. We also observed a statistically significant correlation between histological grade and <italic>c-KIT</italic> mRNA expression. No correlations were found between KIT protein immunohistochemical distribution pattern and <italic>c-KIT</italic> mRNA expression or histological grade. Our results provide a reference basis to better understand <italic>c-KIT</italic> mRNA expression in canine MCTs and strongly encourage further studies that may provide useful information about its potential and significant role as a prognostic and predictive biological marker for canine MCTs clinical outcome.</p>