Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Alireza Ghanadan ^{1, 2}
• Reza Shirkoohi ³
• Reza Shahsiah ⁴
• Samira Alihosseini ⁵
• Reza Amiri ⁶
• Nika Kianfar ⁷
• Shahriar Hadadi Abianeh ⁸
• Elham Sabbagh ⁹
• Behzad Khodaei ⁷
• Maryam Nasimi ⁷

¹ Department of Pathology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, (TUMS), Tehran, Iran

² Department of Pathology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Group of Genetics, Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute of Iran

⁴ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁵ Department of Pathology, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁶ Department of Pathology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of medical sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁷ Department of Dermatology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁸ Department of Plastic Surgery, Razi hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁹ Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

Background: NRAS and BRAF mutations are commonly reported in melanoma with various frequencies in different countries. However, their correlation with the development of malignant melanoma and tumor prognosis has not previously been studied in the Iranian population. This study determined the prevalence of these mutations and their association with tumor-related factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 50 patients admitted to two dermatology hospitals with a definitive diagnosis of melanoma (primary or metastatic) who received surgery as a selective therapeutic option. The genomics of the BRAF and NRAS mutations were determined with the real-time PCR technique.
Results: BRAF and NRAS mutations were presented in 30% and 26% of patients, respectively. The NRAS mutation correlated with mitosis (P = 0.026), while the BRAF mutation correlated with visceral involvement (P = 0.023). None of the mutations correlated with gender, age, melanoma type (primary vs. metastasis), ulcer, microsatellitosis, and lymph node involvement.
Conclusion: BRAF and NRAS mutations demonstrated relatively high prevalence in Iranian patients with melanoma, which may be valuable prognostic tools in predicting tumor prognosis and metastasis.

Keywords

• mutation
• BRAF
• NRAS
• melanoma
• skin neoplasms