Detection of BRAF V600E mutation and RET gene rearrangement in papillary thyroid carcinoma and their clinical significance

Objective To investigate the correlation between BKAF V600K mutation and RET gene rearrangement and clinical pathological factors in papillary thyroid carcinoma (ITC). Methods The samples from 180 FTC patients and 30 patients with other l>enign j>r malignant thyroid lesion as control from January K 2012 to January 2014 were collected. The surgical removal tumor tissues were used for D.N'A and KNA extraction, and the BRAF V600E mutation and'RET gene rearrangement were detected. The correlations letween BRAF V600E mutation ami RET gene rearrangement and sex, age, the primary focal size, thyroid capsule invasion, lymph node metastasis and the clinical stage were analyzed. Results The BRAF V600E mutation rale and the RET gene rearrangement rate in ITC group were 59.4 % (107/180) and 42.2 % (76/180), respectively, hut those were not found in control group. BRAF V600E mutation positive rates in different sex, age and primary tumor size had no statistical difference (P>0.05), whereas those in different thyroid extracapsular invasion (X2 = 5.46, P = 0.01), neck lymph node metastasis (X2 = 3.36, P 0.02) and clinical stage Or = 6.36, P=0.03) had statistical difference. Conclusions BRAF V600E mutation and RET gene rearrangement are related with extracapsular invasion, neck lymph node metastasis anil clinical stage HI-IV in PTC.