Correlation Between BRAF V600E And TERT Promoter Mutations And Clinicopathological Characteristics Of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Objective: This study investigated association of BRAF V600 E and TERT promoters mutations with clinicopathological characteristics from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC).Methods: Retrospective analysis of the clinical and pathological features of 342 patients undergoing surgery and the BRAF V600 E and TERT promoter mutations detection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from August 2016 to August 2017,further analysis of the association between gene mutations and clinicopathological characteristics.Results: Among the 342 patients with PTC,the prevalence of BRAF V600 E mutation was 78.9%(270/342),and the older and male were associated with the BRAF mutation.The mutation rate of TERT promoter was 3.5%(12/342),and all of them also harbored the BRAF V600 E mutation.Univariate analysis showed that the coexistence of BRAF and TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with older age,larger tumor size,extrathyroidal extension,and advanced tumor stage,but not with central lymph node metastasis,lateral lymph node metastasis,numbers of lymph node metastasis >5,and numbers of involved/harvested lymph nodes.The multivariate analyses showed older age(odds ratio [OR],2.194;95% CI: 1.117–4.311;p=0.023),larger tumor size(OR,4.100;95%CI:2.257–7.450;p<0.001),and multiplicity(OR,2.240;95% CI:1.309–3.831;p=0.003)were all independent predictors for high prevalence of extrathyroidal extension.In this study,133 patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC)had no TERT mutations.108 cases of PTMC harbored the BRAF mutation,which were not associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics.Conclusion: BRAF V600 E mutation is very common in PTC and has little significance in guiding the prognosis of patients with PTC.However,the coexistence of BRAF and TERT promoter mutations are highly correlated with the PTC aggressiveness.Therefore,combined detection of BRAF V600 E and TERT promoter mutations is instructive for the identification of highly aggressive PTCs.