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RET rearrangements and BRAF mutation in undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas having papillary carcinoma components
Author(s) -
Mochizuki Kunio,
Kondo Tetsuo,
Nakazawa Tadao,
Iwashina Masanori,
Kawasaki Tomonori,
Nakamura Nobuki,
Yamane Tetsu,
Murata Shinichi,
Ito Koichi,
Kameyama Kaori,
Kobayashi Makio,
Katoh Ryohei
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2010.03646.x
Subject(s) - thyroid carcinoma , histology , mutation , cancer research , carcinoma , pathology , medicine , thyroid , biology , gene , genetics
Mochizuki K, Kondo T, Nakazawa T, Iwashina M, Kawasaki T, Nakamura N, Yamane T, Murata S‐i, Ito K, Kameyama K, Kobayashi M & Katoh R
(2010) Histopathology 57 , 444–450
RET rearrangements and BRAF mutation in undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas having papillary carcinoma components Aims: To elucidate the genetic background of anaplastic transformation, RET rearrangements and BRAF mutation were studied in composite undifferentiated carcinomas (UCs) of the thyroid, which are UCs having papillary carcinoma (PC) components. Methods and results: Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) was performed for RET rearrangements and PCR for BRAF mutation in UC and PC components that were microdissected separately from seven composite UCs. Forty‐two thyroid cancers with single component histology (14 UCs and 28 PCs) were also studied in the same manner. RET /PTC1 was undetectable in both components from all seven composite UCs, and RET /PTC3 was identified in both components of one composite UC. BRAF mutation was identified in both components from three composite UCs and only in the PC components from two composite UCs. In contrast, in thyroid carcinomas with single component histology, RET /PTC1 was detected in 11% of PCs and in none of the UCs, and RET /PTC3 was not found in any of the tumours studied. BRAF mutation was identified in 82% of PCs and in 21% of UCs. Conclusions: The high frequency of BRAF mutation and the absence of RET rearrangements in UC components from composite UCs supports the hypothesis that UCs may actually represent progressive malignant degeneration of a BRAF ‐mutated, well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma.