J Korean Endocr Soc.  2007 Jun;22(3):203-209. 10.3803/jkes.2007.22.3.203.

ras Mutation in Korean Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas

• Jung JH
• Kim KS
• Jung TS
• Oh YL
• Jang HW
• Jung HS
• Min YK
• Lee MS
• Lee MK
• Kim KW
• Chung JH

• KMID: 1512032
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/jkes.2007.22.3.203

Abstract

BACKGROUND: RET/PTC rearrangement and mutations of BRAF and ras are well-known oncogenes involved in the pathogenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangement and BRAF mutations were 0~13% and 66~83% in Korean patients with PTC, respectively. We evaluated the prevalence of ras mutations in surgical specimens of PTC, and we compared them with the patients' clinical features.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We included the surgical specimens of 49 PTCs and a few follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs) and follicular adenomas (FAs) as positive controls. Polymerase chain reaction, single strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequence analysis were consecutively performed to detect ras mutations.
RESULTS
No mutations of the ras oncogenes were detected in 49 PTCs. However, heterozygous mutations of the ras oncogenes were found in a FTC and FA as positive controls, respectively.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggested that ras mutation is not or rarely related to the tumorigenesis of PTCs in Koreans. Therefore, BRAF mutations and RET/PTC rearrangement, rather than ras mutation, might contribute the development of PTC in Koreans.

Keyword

Papillary thyroid carcinoma; Ras oncogene

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular
Adenoma
Carcinogenesis
Genes, ras
Humans
Oncogenes
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prevalence
Sequence Analysis
Thyroid Gland*
Thyroid Neoplasms*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 A. Electrophoresis in 1.0% agarose gel using PCR products of K-, N- and H-ras from papillary thyroid carcinoma. M indicates molecular size marker. B. Representative results of SSCP for N-ras gene using 0.5 × MDE gel. There is no shift of band between 1 (normal control) and 2~4 (from papillary thyroid carcinomas).

• 

  Fig. 2 Representative direct sequences for exon-2 of N-ras gene using DNA from papillary thyroid carcinoma (A) and follicular carcinoma (B). B shows a mutation in heterozygosity at codon 61 (CAA --- AAA).

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