BRAFV600E hot spot mutation in thyroid carcinomas: first Moroccan experience from a single-institution retrospective study
Meryem Kaabouch, Hafsa Chahdi, Naïma Azouzi, Mohammed Oukabli, Issam Rharrassi, Adil Boudhas, Hassan Jaddi, Mouna Ababou, Nadia Dakka, Amélie Boichard, Youssef Bakri, Corinne Dupuy, Abderrahmane Al Bouzidi, Rabii Ameziane El Hassani
Abstract
Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. BRAFV600E mutation is described to be associated with a worse prognostic of thyroid carcinomas, as well as extrathyroidal invasion and increased mortality. Objective: To our knowledge, there are no reported studies neither from Morocco nor from other Maghreb countries re- garding the prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation in thyroid carcinomas. Here we aim to evaluate the frequency of BRAFV600E oncogene in Moroccan thyroid carcinomas. Methods: In this Single-Institution retrospective study realized in the Anatomic Pathology and Histology Service in the Mil- itary Hospital of Instruction Mohammed V ‘HMIMV’ in Rabat, we report, using direct genomic sequencing, the assessment of BRAFV600E in 37 thyroid tumors. Results: We detected BRAFV600E mutation exclusively in Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas ‘PTC’ with a prevalence of 28% (8 PTC out 29 PTC). Like international trends, Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas ’PTC’ is more frequent than Follicular Thyroid Carcinomas ‘FTC’ and Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinomas ‘ATC’ (29 PTC, 7 FTC and 1 ATC). Conclusion: Our finding gives to the international community the first estimated incidence of this oncogene in Morocco showing that this prevalence falls within the range of international trends (30% to 90%) reported in distinct worldwide ge- ographic regions. Keywords: Biomarker; BRAFV600E; Thyroid cancer; Morocco.