title: Low Prevalence of Somatic TERT Promoter Mutations in Classic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transcriptional activating mutations of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) are associated with more aggressive thyroid cancer. We evaluated the significance of TERT promoter mutations in Korean patients with classic papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Genomic DNA was isolated from four thyroid cancer cell lines and 35 fresh-frozen PTC tissues. TERT promoter mutations (C228T and C250T) and the BRAF V600E mutation were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction amplification and direct sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The CC228229TT mutation in the TERT promoter was detected in BCPAP cells and the C250T mutation was found in 8505C cells. No TERT promoter mutation was observed in Cal-62 or ML-1 cells. The C228T mutation was found in only 1 of 35 (2.8%) PTCs and no C250T mutations were detected in any of the study subjects. The BRAF V600E mutation was found in 20 of 35 (57.1%) PTCs. One patient with the C228T TERT mutation also harbored the BRAF V600E mutation and developed a recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of somatic TERT promoter mutations was low in Korean patients with classic PTC. Therefore, the prognostic role of TERT promoter mutations might be limited in this patient cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Ji
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1297-107X
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. wongukim@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Won Gu
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8404-7759
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Soyoung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.affiliation: Asan Institute of Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seonhee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Yong
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Kee
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Shong
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won Bae
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Mutation; Telomerase; Thyroid cancer, papillary