Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, 2013. 41: 1107.

RESEARCH ARTICLE ISSN 1679-9216

Pub. 1107

Transmissible Venereal Tumor Treated with Autohemotherapy*

Karina Oliveira Drumond1, Ana Maria Quessada1, Silvana Maria Medeiros de Sousa Silva1,
Francisco Assis Lima Costa1, Lucilene dos Santos Silva1,
Flaviane Alves de Pinho2 & Rallyson Ramon Fernando Barbosa Lopes3

ABSTRACT

Background: Transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) is a neoplasm of round cells, that affects exclusively the canine specie.
The etiology of the tumor is unknown, but the hystiocitic hipothesis is the more accepted. It is transmitted principally by
the venereal form, but the inplant of cells can cause the disease. The clinic signs of the neoplasia are typical and include
tumoral friable mass (in shape of cauliflower), that bleed easily. The most common localization is external genitalia, but the
tumor can appears in skin surface and other organs. TVT grows rapidly (progressive phase) after transplantation, followed
by a static phase (without cell proliferation) and then may regress spontaneously (stage of regression). The regression of
the neoplasia is associated with increased infiltration of T lymphocytes and macrophages in the tumor and characterized
by increased apoptosis of tumor cells and fibrosis. The diagnosis of TVT is usually done by the physical aspect of the
tumor, and confirmed by cytology or histopathology. TVT can be prevented by castration of the animals. The treatment of
TVT is usually performed with vincristine, which has side effects, requires care in its application, and has a relatively high
cost. Thus, new therapeutic low-cost alternatives are suggested, as is the case of autohemotherapy. The autohemotherapy
technique consists of administration of autologous whole blood intramuscularly. In veterinary practice has been used suc-
cessfully to treat bovine papillomatosis and other diseases. Probably the mechanism of action of autohemotherapy is to
enhance organic immunity. This report aimed to evaluate the behavior of the transmissible venereal tumor in six dogs with
naturally transplanted tumor after treatment with autohemotherapy.
Materials, Methods & Results: Six adult bitches were clinically examined and all presented transmissible venereal tumor
located in external genitalia, adquired by natural transmission. Cytological examination confirmed the diagnosis of TVT.
The bitches were kept in kennels by one week before treatment, and it was not observed natural regression of tumor mass.
After this time the animals were submitted to treatment with autohemotherapy, which consisted of application of autologous
whole blood in the gluteal muscles, at dose of 10 mL. The applications were made weekly for seven weeks. All tumors were
measured before and after autohemotherapy and, also weekly during the treatment. All tumors were friable and bleeding
easily, multilobulated, nodulares, cauliflower-like shape, pale-pink to pale red, with surface smooth or irregular. In some
animals there were signs of secondary infection. In general, the measurement of tumor ranged from 3.0 cm to 7.1 cm be-
fore of autohemotherapy. After treatment it was observed, macroscopically, a decrease of the tumoral mass in three dogs.
Discussion: It was established as criterion for stopping treatment the time of seven weeks. Possibly if the treatment had
been extended the regression could have been completed. Probably autohemotherapy increased immunity and, consequently,
contributed to increase the body’s resistance against TVT, producing regression of tumoral mass. Therefore, the autohe-
motherapy led to macroscopic partial regression of the tumor in 50% of animals subjected to this treatment, stimulating
further research in this area.

Keywords: blood, dogs, genital system, neoplasia, therapy.

Received: 23 March 2012 Accepted: 28 September 2012 Published: 23 January 2013

1
*Article based on a Thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master’s Degree. Pós-graduação em Ciência
Animal, Universidade Federal do Piauí (UFPI), Campus Universitário, Teresina, PI, Brazil. 2Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Laboratório de
Soroepidemiologia e Imunobiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 3Hospital Veterinário, UFPI, Teresina, PI, Brazil. CORRESPONDENCE:
A.M. Quessada [quessadavet@gmail.com - Tel. +55 (86) 3215 5538]. Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinária, Centro de Ciências Agrárias,
UFPI, Campus Universitário. CEP 64.049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil.

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K.O. Drumond, A.M. Quessada, S.M.M.S. Silva, et al. 2013. Transmissible Venereal Tumor Treated with Autohemotherapy.
INTRODUCTION
Transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) is a
neoplasm of round cells, that affects exclusivelly the
canine specie [5]. It is transmitted by contact of tumor
cells alive with mucous membranes [8,9], venereal
transmissions however are the most common [5]. The
etiology of the tumor is unknown, but the hystiocitic
hypothesis is the more accepted [4]. TVT grows rapidly
(progressive phase) after transplantation, followed by
a static phase (without cell proliferation) [4,11] and
then may regress spontaneously (stage of regression)
[3,4,11]. This regression is associated with increased
infiltration of T lymphocytes and macrophages [11] in
the tumor and characterized by increased apoptosis of
tumor cells and fibrosis [4].
The clinic signs of the neoplasia are tumoral
friable mass that bleed easily. The most common lo-
calization is external genitalia [3,5,9,14,17].
The diagnosis of TVT is done by the physi-
cal aspect of the tumor, and confirmed by citology or
histopathology [3,7].
The treatment of TVT is usually performed
with chemotherapy [2,4,12,17] and vincristine is one
of more effective drugs, but has side effects, requires
care in application [1] and has a relatively high cost
[2]. Thus, new therapeutic low-cost alternatives are
suggested, as is the case of autohemotherapy. This
technique has been used to treat human and animal
diseases successfully [6,10,13,15,16], and consists in
the administration of autologous whole blood intra-
muscularly [6,13,15,16].
This report aimed to evaluate the behavior of
the transmissible venereal tumor in six bitches with
naturally transplanted tumor after treatment with au-
tohemotherapy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Six adult bitches were clinically examined and
all presented transmissible venereal tumor located in
external genitalia, adquired by natural transmission.
Cytological examination confirmed the diagnosis of
TVT. After diagnostic confirmation, the bitches were
treated with autohemotherapy, which consisted of the
application of whole blood (taken from the jugular
vein) in the gluteal muscles in a dose of 10 mL. The
applications were made weekly for seven weeks. Tu-
moral masses were measured before, during and one
week after treatment for observation of regression.
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Acta Scientiae Veterinariae. 41: 1107.
The quantitative results were analyzed with statistical
software Sigma Stat using the nonparametric Kruskal-
Wallis test with a significance level of P < 0.05.
RESULTS
All tumors, regardless of size, were friable,
bleed easily, and variables in relation to the shape and
size. There was multilobulated tumors, nodulares, in
shape of cauliflower, pale-pink to pale red, with sur-
face smooth or irregular, with or without lobulation
(Figures 1A, 2A, 3A). In some animals, there were
signs of secondary infection characterized by the
presence of purulent and serous secretion. In general,
the measurement of tumor ranged from 3.0 cm to 7.1
cm. There was no statistically significant regression of
the lesion (P = 0.856) before and after treatment with
autohemotherapy.
DISCUSSION
It was observed, macroscopically, a decrease
in tumoral mass (Figures 1B, 2B, 3B) in three dogs.
The reduction in the size of the tumoral mass has been
observed after the fifth and sixth week of treatment. As
there was standardization of the number of applications
of autohemotherapy in the animals, was established
as criterion for stopping treatment the time of seven
weeks. Possibly, if the treatment had been extended
the regression could have been completed.
The autohemotherapy operates by promoting
growth in the number of macrophage and induces
an increase of organic immunity [10,15]. Probably
this treatment has promoted the macroscopic partial
regression of tumoral mass in three dogs treated with
autohemotherapy (Figures 1B, 2B, 3B).
It is worth noting that the animals were not
subjected to any treatment and, even if the decline had
been influenced by the reduction of inflammation, it is
known that the autohemotherapy enhances immunity
[10] and, consequently, contributes to increase the
body’s resistance against any aggression. It is pointed
out also that the animals were kept in kennels by one
week before treatment, and was not observed natural
regression of tumor mass like described in one animal
[3]. Therefore, it is suggested that the reduction of tu-
moral mass was influenced by autohemotherapy whose
effects were observed after the fifth and sixth week of
treatment (Figure 1B,2B, 3B). The autohemotherapy
in association with homeopathy helped to treat one
K.O. Drumond, A.M. Quessada, S.M.M.S. Silva, et al. 2013. Transmissible Venereal Tumor Treated with Autohemotherapy.
Acta Scientiae Veterinariae. 41: 1107.

Figure 1. A)- Mongrel bitch with transmissible venereal tumor in vulva before treat-
ment with autohemotherapy (AHT). B)- Same bitch of the Figure 1 A, five weeks after
treatment with AHT.

Figure 2. A)- Mongrel bitch with transmissible venereal tumor in vulva before treat-
ment with autohemotherapy (AHT). B)- Same bitch of the Figure 2 A, six weeks after
treatment with AHT.

Figure 3. A)- Mongrel bitch with transmissible venereal tumor in vulva before treat-
ment with autohemotherapy (AHT). B)- Same bitch of the Figure 3 A, six weeks after
treatment with AHT.

dog with TVT [6], and has been used to treat other
neoplasias in animals [13,16].
It was suggested that autohemotherapy led to
macroscopic partial regression of the mass tumoral
in 50% of animals subjected to this treatment, which
stimulates the further development of research in this
area. The autohemotherapy causes no side effects.
Ethical approval. This research was approved by the Ethics
Committee on Animal Experimentation of the Federal Univer-
sity of Piaui, Teresina, Piaui, Brazil.
Declaration of interest. The authors report no conflicts of
interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and
writing of the paper.

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K.O. Drumond, A.M. Quessada, S.M.M.S. Silva, et al. 2013. Transmissible Venereal Tumor Treated with Autohemotherapy.
Acta Scientiae Veterinariae. 41: 1107.

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