The BRAF mutation is not associated with poor prognostic factors in Korean patients with conventional papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The BRAF(V600E) mutation, the most common genetic alteration reported in papillary thyroid carcinoma, has been associated with poor prognostic factors.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation is associated with poor prognosis in Korean patients with conventional papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (micro-PTC).


METHODS
DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded thyroid tumour specimens taken from 60 patients with conventional micro-PTC, as well as from nine patients with follicular variant papillary carcinoma, six with nodular hyperplasia, four with follicular carcinoma (including one with Hürthle cell carcinoma), four with follicular adenoma (including two with Hürthle cell adenoma) and one each with medullary carcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma. The presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of exon 15 followed by direct sequencing.


RESULTS
The BRAF(V600E) mutation was detected in tumour samples from 31 of 60 conventional micro-PTC patients (52%), but was not detected in patients with other types of thyroid tumours. The age distribution, tumour size, extrathyroid extension, multifocality and staging did not differ significantly between patients with and without the BRAF(V600E) mutation.


CONCLUSIONS
In Korean patients with conventional micro-PTC, the presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation was not significantly associated with prognostic factors.
Kim
Tae Yong
TY
Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Centre, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Won Bae
WB
Song
Ja Young
JY
Rhee
Yoon Soo
YS
Gong
Gyungyub
G
Cho
Yong Mee
YM
Kim
Sang Yoon
SY
Kim
Seong Chul
SC
Hong
Suck Joon
SJ
Shong
Young Kee
YK
D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017354:Point Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D005819:Genetic Markers; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf