Frequency of BRAF V600E mutation in a group of Thai patients with ameloblastomas.

OBJECTIVE

BRAF V600E mutation has recently been reported in a high proportion of ameloblastomas. This study was conducted to investigate the frequency of this mutation in ameloblastoma and unicystic ameloblastoma. The correlation between clinicopathologic data and BRAF V600E mutation was also analyzed.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 51 archival samples of ameloblastomas and 22 cases of unicystic ameloblastomas were examined for BRAF V600E mutation by using anti-BRAF V600E (clone VE1) immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Positivity for anti-BRAF V600E antibody was detected in 72.5% (37 of 51) of ameloblastomas, but the mutation showed no significant correlation with the clinicopathologic parameters. With regard to unicystic ameloblastoma, 95.5% (21) of the 22 cases exhibited positive immunostaining for BRAF V600E, whereas only 1 case showed the mural subtype of wild-type BRAF.

CONCLUSIONS

A high frequency of BRAF V600E mutation was detected in a group of Thai patients with ameloblastomas, suggesting the future use of BRAF-targeted therapy in patients with BRAF-mutated ameloblastoma. However, no significant association between BRAF V600E mutation and the clinicopathologic characteristics of ameloblastomas was found in our study.