title: Molecular markers for patients with thymic malignancies: not feasible at present?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thymomas and thymic carcinomas are rare malignancies and devising clinically effective molecular targeted therapies is a major clinical challenge. The aim of the study was to analyze BLC2 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) expression and KRAS and EGFR mutational status and to correlate them with the clinical characteristics of patients with thymomas and thymic carcinomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 62 patients (mean age: 50.4 ± 13.2 years) with thymomas and thymic carcinomas were enrolled. The expression of BLC2 and VEGFR in tumor cells and normal tissues was evaluated by RT-PCR. The mutational status of the KRAS and EGFR genes was investigated by PCR with sequence specific primers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BLC2 and VEGFR expression levels did not differ significantly between tumor and normal tissues. Moreover, there were no clearly pathogenic mutations in KRAS or EGFR genes in any tumor. None of the molecular markers were significantly related to clinical outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Changes in levels of expression of BLC2 and VEGFR do not appear to be involved in thymic tumorigenesis. Moreover, our data suggest that KRAS and EGFR mutations do not play a major role in the pathogenesis of thymomas and thymic carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey E-mail : nilavci@uludag.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Nilufer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avci
authors.forename: Gulsah
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cecener
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deligonul
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erturk
authors.forename: Berrin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tunca
authors.forename: Unal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Egeli
authors.forename: Gulcin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tezcan
authors.forename: Elif Ulker
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Akyildiz
authors.forename: Ahmet Sami
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gebitekin
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Turkkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Evrensel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000235:genetics*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C117307:KRAS protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins