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) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend 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 (7) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Goldenberg-Cohen, N. Articles by Sidransky, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Goldenberg-Cohen, N. Articles by Sidransky, D.

T1799A BRAF Mutations in Conjunctival Melanocytic Lesions

¹From the The Wilmer Eye Institute, the ⁵Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Cancer Research, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; the ²Department of Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Center, The Krieger Eye Research Laboratory, Petach Tiqva, Israel and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; and the ⁷Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.

PURPOSE. To gain a better understanding of the molecular events leading to the development of conjunctival melanocytic lesions and conjunctival melanoma, this study was conducted to investigate the presence of T1799A BRAF oncogenic mutation in these lesions.

METHODS. Forty-eight surgically excised conjunctival melanocytic lesions from 48 patients were examined for the presence of the BRAF T1799A mutation. Twenty-eight lesions were conjunctival nevi, of which 20 were excised from children younger than 18 years. Fifteen lesions were conjunctival primary acquired melanosis (PAM; 11 without atypia and 4 with atypia) and five were conjunctival melanomas. To detect the BRAF T1799A mutation, both a newly developed kit (Mutector; TrimGen, Sparks, MD) and direct DNA sequence analysis of exon 15 after PCR amplification were used.

RESULTS. The T1799A BRAF mutation was identified in 14 of 28 (50%) conjunctival nevi analyzed, but in none of the 15 conjunctival PAMs, with and without atypia. The T1799A BRAF mutation was identified in two of the five (40%) conjunctival melanomas. There was no difference in the BRAF mutation detected in conjunctival nevi in children or adults, as the BRAF mutation was detected in 50%.

CONCLUSIONS. The results showed that conjunctival nevi, similar to skin nevi, have a high frequency of oncogenic BRAF mutations. Furthermore, the results suggest that the oncogenic event leading to BRAF mutations affect only conjunctival nevi and not conjunctival PAM. The clinical significance of these observations remains to be determined.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Maat, E. Kilic, G. P. M. Luyten, A. de Klein, M. J. Jager, N. A. Gruis, and P. A. Van der Velden Pyrophosphorolysis Detects B-RAF Mutations in Primary Uveal Melanoma Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., January 1, 2008; 49(1): 23 - 27. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]