Optimized allele-specific real-time PCR assays for the detection of common mutations in KRAS and BRAF.

ABSTRACT: Mutations in the oncogenes KRAS and BRAF have been identified as prognostic factors in patients with colorectal diseases and as predictors of negative outcome in epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapies. Therefore, accurate mutation detection in both genes, KRAS and BRAF, is of increasing clinical relevance. We aimed at optimizing allele-specific real-time PCR assays for the detection of common mutations in KRAS and the BRAF Val600Glu mutation using allele-specific PCR primers for allelic discrimination and probes (TaqMan) for quantification. Each reaction mix contains a co-amplified internal control to exclude false-negative results. Allele-specific real-time PCR assays were evaluated on plasmid model systems providing a mutation detection limit of 10 copies of mutant DNA in proportions as low as 1% of the total DNA. Furthermore, we analyzed 125 DNA samples prepared from archived, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded colorectal carcinomas and compared results with those obtained from direct-sequence analysis. All mutations determined by sequence analysis could be recovered by allele-specific PCR assays. In addition, allele-specific PCR assays clearly identified three additional samples affected by a mutation. We propose these allele-specific real-time PCR assays as a low-cost and fast diagnostic tool for accurate detection of KRAS and BRAF mutations that can be applied to clinical samples.

SUBMITTER: Lang AH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3070579 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature