title: The prevalence of RET/PTC mutations in papillary thyroid cancers in Turkish population and its relation between tumor histopathology and prognostic factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent years, thyroid cancer has been at the forefront of molecular pathology as a result of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and the recognition of the role of RET/PTC rearrangements in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). Correlation of RET/PTC expression with clinical outcome is controversial. This study aims to identify the prevalence of RET/PTC oncogene expression in Turkey, and to investigate the correlation between RET/PTC oncogene expression and the known prognostic factors of PTC in 101 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The RET rearrangements were examined by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis, with primers flanking the chimeric region. Statistical evaluation was performed by using Independent samples t-test, One-sample Chi-square test and Pearson Chi-square or Fisher's Exact Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RET/PTC was determined positive in 67(66.3%) of totally 101 patients (p<0.001). RET/PTC1 in 32(31.7%), RET/PTC3 in 21(20.8%), RET/PTC1+RET/PTC3 both in 10(9.9%) patients were found to be positive. There was RET/PTC2 positiveness in two patients, RET/PTC2,3 positiveness in one patient, and RET/PTC1,2,3 positiveness in one patient. No statistical difference was found between RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3. None of genetico-clinical analyses showed any significant association between RET/PTC expression and the clinical and pathological features of the cancers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While this prevalence of the RET/PTC is less than RET/PTC frequency seen after Chernobyl in Belarus, its prevalence in our region is also high (66.3%). As a result, no significant correlation was found in between prognosis and RET/PTC frequency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism Disease, Ege University Medical School, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. drmerdogan61@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erdoğan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berdeli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ertan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cetinkalp
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saygili
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuncyurek
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuzun
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kabalak
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uluer
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ozgen
mesh_terms: D017931:DNA Primers; D003710:Demography; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret / Q000235:genetics*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D014421:Turkey; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D000098706:Taste Receptors, Type 2; D051096:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret; C099282:RET protein, human