A highly sensitive and specific real-time quantitative PCR for BRAF V600E/K mutation screening

Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 9;10(1):16943. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72809-7.

Abstract

Mutations that lead to constitutive activation of key regulators in cellular processes are one of the most important drivers behind vigorous growth of cancer cells, and are thus prime targets in cancer treatment. BRAF V600E mutation transduces strong growth and survival signals for cancer cells, and is widely present in various types of cancers including lung cancer. A combination of BRAF inhibitor (dabrafenib) and MEK inhibitor (trametinib) has recently been approved and significantly improved the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC harboring BRAF V600E/K mutation. To improve the detection of BRAF V600E/K mutation and investigate the incidence and clinicopathological features of the mutation in lung cancer patients of southern Taiwan, a highly sensitive and specific real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) method, able to detect single-digit copies of mutant DNA, was established and compared with BRAF V600E-specific immunohistochemistry. Results showed that the BRAF V600E mutation was present at low frequency (0.65%, 2/306) in the studied patient group, and the detection sensitivity and specificity of the new RT-qPCR and V600E-specific immunohistochemistry both reached 100% and 97.6%, respectively. Screening the BRAF V600E/K mutation with the RT-qPCR and V600E-specific immunohistochemistry simultaneously could help improve detection accuracy.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / therapeutic use
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Oximes / therapeutic use
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics*
  • Pyridones / therapeutic use
  • Pyrimidinones / therapeutic use
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Taiwan

Substances

  • Imidazoles
  • Oximes
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridones
  • Pyrimidinones
  • trametinib
  • BRAF protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • dabrafenib