BRAF V600E MUTATIONAL STATUS DOES NOT CORRELATE WITH BIOLOGIAL BEHAVIOR IN CONVENTIONAL AMELOBLASTOMAS: A DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Introduction

Ameloblastomas, a type of odontogenic tumor, exhibit the BRAF V600E mutation in more than 65% of cases. This study aims to explore the potential correlation between the BRAF V600E mutation, the biological behavior of conventional ameloblastomas, and Disease-Free Survival in patients.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective cohort study, following STROBE recommendations, involved individuals treated for conventional ameloblastomas. Clinical, imaging, histomorphological, immunohistochemical (Ki67 and CD138/syndecan-1), and molecular BRAF V600E mutation analyses were conducted. Bivariate statistical analysis employed chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression identified disease-free survival predictors at a 5% significance level.

The study included 41 individuals, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.15:1. The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 75.6% of tumors. No significant associations were found between BRAF mutational status and other clinical, imaging, histomorphological, and immunohistochemical variables. Univariate (p = 0.008) and multivariate (p = 0.030) analyses revealed that the initial treatment modality significantly influenced prognosis, favoring radical treatment with a Hazard Ratio of 9.60 (95%IC = 1.24 – 73.89).

Conclusions

BRAF V600E mutation emerges as a prevalent molecular aberration in ameloblastomas. Nevertheless, it does not seem to significantly affect the tumor proliferative activity, CD138/syndecan-1-mediated cell adhesion, and disease-free survival outcomes.