HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (11) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Perren, A Articles by Komminoth, P Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Perren, A Articles by Komminoth, P

Institute for Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathologie, University Hospital Zürich, Schmelzbergstr. 12, CH-8091, Switzerland
¹ Institut for Clinical Pathology, Kantonsspital Baden, Switzerland

(Requests for offprints should be addressed to A Perren; Email: Aurel.Perren{at}usz.ch)

The tumorigenesis of sporadic endocrine tumors is still not fully understood. Activating point mutations of the serine/threonine kinase gene BRAF located on 7q34 are found in a wide range of malignancies, with the highest frequency (66%) occurring in malignant melanomas. Melanomas are tumors of neural-crest-derived cells as are medullary thyroid carcinomas, pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. BRAF has not been examined in endocrine tumors of the diffuse neuroendocrine system or of neural-crest-derived cells.

We examined 130 endocrine tumors of the pancreas, parathyroid gland, adrenal medulla, paraganglia, lung and gastrointestinal tract as well as follicular and c-cell-derived thyroid tumors. We found a high rate of V559E mutations in papillary thyroid carcinomas (47%), one V599E mutation in a well-differentiated gastric endocrine carcinoma (malignant carcinoid), but no activating BRAF mutations in all other endocrine tumors examined. These results point towards different pathways in tumorigenesis of endocrine tumors of various localizations and only rare involvement of the MAP kinase (MAPK) pathway in a subset of malignant neuroendocrine tumors.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. C. Henderson, S.-H. Ahn, and G. L. Clayman Inhibition of the Growth of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Cells by CI-1040 Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, April 1, 2009; 135(4): 347 - 354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Liu, Z. Liu, D. Jiang, A. P. Dackiw, and M. Xing Inhibitory Effects of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Inhibitor CI-1040 on the Proliferation and Tumor Growth of Thyroid Cancer Cells with BRAF or RAS Mutations J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2007; 92(12): 4686 - 4695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. R Rowe, B. G Bentz, and J. S Bentz Detection of BRAF V600E activating mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma using PCR with allele-specific fluorescent probe melting curve analysis J. Clin. Pathol., November 1, 2007; 60(11): 1211 - 1215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L Fugazzola, E Puxeddu, N Avenia, C Romei, V Cirello, A Cavaliere, P Faviana, D Mannavola, S Moretti, S Rossi, et al. Correlation between B-RAFV600E mutation and clinico-pathologic parameters in papillary thyroid carcinoma: data from a multicentric Italian study and review of the literature. Endocr. Relat. Cancer, June 1, 2006; 13(2): 455 - 464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M Xing BRAF mutation in thyroid cancer Endocr. Relat. Cancer, June 1, 2005; 12(2): 245 - 262. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]