Background: The BRAF(V600E) mutation, the most common genetic alteration reported in papillary thyroid carcinoma, has been associated with poor prognostic factors.
Aim: To determine whether the presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation is associated with poor prognosis in Korean patients with conventional papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (micro-PTC).
Patients and methods: DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded thyroid tumour specimens taken from 60 patients with conventional micro-PTC, as well as from nine patients with follicular variant papillary carcinoma, six with nodular hyperplasia, four with follicular carcinoma (including one with Hürthle cell carcinoma), four with follicular adenoma (including two with Hürthle cell adenoma) and one each with medullary carcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma. The presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of exon 15 followed by direct sequencing.
Results: The BRAF(V600E) mutation was detected in tumour samples from 31 of 60 conventional micro-PTC patients (52%), but was not detected in patients with other types of thyroid tumours. The age distribution, tumour size, extrathyroid extension, multifocality and staging did not differ significantly between patients with and without the BRAF(V600E) mutation.
Conclusion: In Korean patients with conventional micro-PTC, the presence of the BRAF(V600E) mutation was not significantly associated with prognostic factors.