Type and prevalence of BRAF mutations are closely associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma histotype and patients' age but not with tumour aggressiveness

• Published in: Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology 2005-06, Vol.446 (6), p.589-595
• Main Authors: TROVISCO, Vitor, SOARES, Paula, MAGALHAES, Joao, ABROSIMOV, Alexander, CAMESELLE-TEIJEIRO, José, SOBRINHO-SIMOES, Manuel, PRETO, Ana, VIEIRA DE CASTRO, Ines, LIMA, Jorge, CASTRO, Patricia, MAXIMO, Valdemar, BOTELHO, Tiago, MOREIRA, Severina, MARGARIDA MEIRELES, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - genetics; Adult; Age Factors; Carcinoma, Papillary - genetics; Carcinoma, Papillary, Follicular - genetics; DNA Mutational Analysis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf - genetics; Sex Factors; Thyroid; Thyroid Neoplasms - genetics; Tumors
• ISSN: 0945-6317; 1432-2307
• DOI: 10.1007/s00428-005-1236-0

A high prevalence of the BRAF(V600E) somatic mutation was recently reported in several series of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC). This mutation appears to be particularly prevalent in PTC with a predominantly papillary architecture. Another BRAF mutation (K601E) was detected in a follicular adenoma and in some cases of the follicular variant of PTC. The few studies on record provided controversial data on the relationship between the occurrence of BRAF mutations and clinicopathologic parameters such as gender, age and tumour staging. In an attempt to clarify such controversies we decided to enlarge our previous series to 315 tumours or tumour-like lesions diagnosed in 280 patients, including a thorough analysis of several clinicopathologic features. The BRAF(V600E) mutation was exclusively detected in PTC with a papillary or mixed follicular/papillary architecture both of the conventional type (46%) and of other histotypes, such as microcarcinoma (43%), Warthin-like PTC (75%) and oncocytic variant of PTC (55%). The BRAF(K601E) mutation was detected in four of the 54 cases of the follicular variant of PTC (7%). The mean age of patients with conventional PTC harbouring BRAF(V600E) (46.7 years) was significantly higher (P