title: Prognostic and Clinicopathologic Associations of BRAF Mutation in Primary Acral Lentiginous Melanoma in Korean Patients: A Preliminary Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the majority of melanomas, the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway is constitutively activated, due to oncogenic mutations in the BRAF and NRAS genes. The BRAF mutation has been mainly described in Caucasian melanomas. However, there is a lack of study evaluating the status, and the clinical significance, of BRAF mutation in the Asian population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed to determine the frequency of BRAF mutation, and to evaluate the correlation of BRAF status with clinicopathologic features and outcomes, in Korean primary acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  ALM samples (n=36) were analyzed for the BRAF V600E mutation, by dual-priming oligonucleotide (DPO) based real-time polymerase chain reaction. The clinicopathologic features and prognosis of the patients were analyzed with BRAF mutation status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of BRAF V600E mutation was 19.4% (7/36). The BRAF V600E mutations were not associated with clinicopathologic features, except for the age factor. All of the BRAF-mutant patients survived without recurrence or metastasis, and have a better clinical outcome than BRAF wild-type patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Korean primary ALM, a low frequency of BRAF mutation was shown; and BRAF mutation presented with a favorable prognosis. These results indicate that other distinctive genetic mechanisms may have more important roles in the development and progression of disease. Further multicenter study with large sample size is firmly needed, to confirm the results of our preliminary study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Suee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae-Cheol
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki-Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Song
keywords: Acral lentiginous melanoma; BRAF mutation; Korean; Prognosis