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Shin, Ko, Lee, Bang, Kwon, Park, and Koo: Diagnostic Effectiveness of PCR-based Tests Detecting BRAF Mutation for Treating Malignant Melanoma: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background

We aimed to conduct a systematic review of previously published material to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of PCR-based tests in detecting BRAF mutation.

Methods

Eight Korean databases, including KoreaMed, Ovid-MEDLINE, and Ovid-EMBASE were used to identify relevant published studies. Nine studies describing usage of real-time PCR, dual-priming oligonucleotide (DPO)-multiplex real-time PCR and allele-specific PCR were included in the final assessment. Two reviewers screened all references independently for assessing the quality of the included articles and extracted data.

Results

The rate of detection of the BRAF mutations was lower in the Korean population (11.1–17.2%) than that in the Western population (36.7–82.2%). The diagnostic accuracy of the BRAF mutation tests was assessed on the basis of four previous reports, all of which employed real-time PCR on malignant melanoma. In fact, the diagnostic accuracy of real-time PCR was found to be higher than that of sequencing tests (pooled sensitivity, 0.96; pooled specificity, 0.83; and summary receiver operating characteristic area under the curve, 0.99). In addition, we found that there was no publication bias in meta-analysis. The concordance rate of the BRAF mutation tests compared with reference tests was 87.9–98.1%.

Conclusions

Real-time PCR for the detection of the BRAF gene mutation is an effective technology for determining the appropriateness of treatment with BRAF kinase inhibitors in terminal stage cancer as well as metastatic and malignant melanoma.

References

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Fig. 1.
Documents selected for evaluation of PCR-based BRAF mutation test according to the literature search strategy.
lmo-4-203f1.tif
Fig. 2.
Diagnostic meaning of real-time PCR (Pooled sensitivity).
lmo-4-203f2.tif
Fig. 3.
Diagnostic meaning of real-time PCR (Pooled sensitivity).
lmo-4-203f3.tif
Fig. 4.
Summary receiver operating characteristics area under the curve of real-time PCR.
lmo-4-203f4.tif
Fig. 5.
Funnel plot of real-time PCR.
lmo-4-203f5.tif
Table 1.
Databases used for searching published studies
Database  
KoreaMed http://www.koreamed.org
국립중앙도서관 http://www.nl.go.kr
국회도서관 http://www.nanet.go.kr
국가자료목록시스템 http://www.nl.go.kr/kolisnet
한국교육학술정보원 http://www.riss4u.net
학술데이터베이스 http://kiss.kstudy.com
과학기술학회마을 http://society.kisti.re.kr
한국의학논문데이터베이스 http://kmbase.medric.or.kr
Ovid-MEDLINE http://ovidsp.ovid.com
Ovid-EMBASE  
Table 2.
Ovid-MEDLINE search strategy
PICO No. Search term Searched no.
Patients 1 melano$5.mp 103,575
2 BRAF.mp 2,904
3 B-RAF.mp. 2,896
4 B-type Raf Kinase.mp. 13
5 V600$2.mp. 809
6 BRAF V600E.mp. 111
7 OR/2–6 3,658
8 1 AND 7 1,035
Index test 9 exp Polymerase Chain Reaction/ 334,665
10 PCR.mp. 275,465
11 Polymerase Chain Reaction.mp. 389,639
12 real time PCR.mp. 28,315
13 real time Polymerase Chain Reaction.mp. 18,100
14 OR/9–13 494,767
P&I Exclusion of animal studies 15 8 AND 14 162
16 animals/ 4,988,756
17 humans/ 12,506,663
18 16 NOT (16 AND 17) 3,653,831
Total 19 15 NOT 18 159
Table 3.
Ovid-EMBASE search strategy
PICO No. Search term Searched no.
Patients 1 exp melanoma/ 97,617
2 melano$5.mp 136,505
3 OR/1–2 136,715
4 BRAF .mp 5,075
5 B-RAF.mp. 5,334
6 B-type Raf Kinase.mp. 19
7 V600$2.mp. 1,435
8 BRAF V600E.mp. 521
9 OR/4–8 7,841
10 3 AND 9 2,514
Index test 11 exp Polymerase Chain Reaction/ 247,318
12 PCR.mp. 392,994
13 Polymerase Chain Reaction.mp. 503,341
14 real time PCR.mp. 48,741
15 real time Polymerase Chain Reaction.mp. 71,969
16 OR/11–15 610,351
P&I Exclusion of animal studies 17 10 AND 16 322
18 animals/ 1,803,742
19 humans/ 13,981,186
20 18 NOT (18 AND 19) 1,348,171
Total 21 17 NOT 20 322
Table 4.
Levels of evidence (From Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. SIGN 50: a guideline developer's handbook)
1++ High-quality meta-analyses, systematic reviews of RCTs, or RCTs with a very low risk of bias
1+ Well-conducted meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or RCTs with a low risk of bias
1- Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, or RCTs with a high risk of bias
  High-quality systematic reviews of case control or cohort or studies
2++ High-quality case cont rol or cohort studies with a very low risk of confounding or bias and a high probability that the relationship is causal
2+ Well-conducted case control or cohort studies with a low risk of confounding or bias and a moderate probability that the relationship is causal
2- Case control or cohort studies with a high risk of confounding or bias and a significant risk that the relationship is not causal
3 Non-analytic studies (e.g., case reports, case series)
4 Expert opinion

Abbreviation: RCT, randomized controlled trial.

Table 5.
Grades of recommendations (From Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. SIGN 50: a guideline developer's handbook)
A At least one meta-analysis, systematic review, or RCT rated as 1++, and directly applicable to the target population; or a body of evidence consisting principally of studies rated as 1+, directly applicable to the target population, and demonstrating overall consistency of results
B A body of evidence including studies rated as 2++, directly applicable to the target population, and demonstrating overall consistency of results; or extrapolated evidence from studies rated as 1++ or 1+
C A body of evidence including studies rated as 2+, directly applicable to the target population and demonstrating overall consistency of results; or extrapolated evidence from studies rated as 2++
D Evidence level 3 or 4; or extrapolated evidence from studies rated as 2+

Abbreviation: RCT, randomized controlled trial.

Table 6.
Documents selected for evaluation and detection rate of the BRAF mutation
No. Author/Publication Year Research location Subjects Index test Detection rate %(N) BRAF mutation type (N) Level of evidence
1 Lopez-Rios et al. (2013) [7] U.S 108 melanoma Real-Time PCR 39.8 (43/108) V600E 2+
  FFPET specimens        
2 Anderson et al. (2012) [8] US, Australia 477 metastatic Real-Time PCR 49.6 (215/433) V600E 2+
  melanoma patients        
3 Halait et al. (2012) [9] U.S 438 malignant Real-Time PCR 43.1 (189/438) V600E 2+
  melanoma FFPET        
  specimens        
4 Schoenewolf et al. (2012) [10] Swiss 62 unresectable stage Real-Time PCR 34.6 (18/52) V600E 2−
  IV melanomas        
5 Lee et al. (2012) [11] South Korea 58 primary DPO-multiplex 17.2 (10/58) 2−
  cutaneous melanomas Real-Time PCR      
  27 non-cutaneous   11.1 (3/27)    
  melanomas        
6 Hacker et al. (2010) [12] Australia 123 melanomas AS-PCR 32.5 (40/123) V600 2−
7 Lazar et al. (2009) [13] Hungary 68 primary melanoma Real-Time Quantitative PCR 39.7 (27/68) V600E (20/68) V600K (5/68) 2+
          V600R (2/68)  
8 Venesio et al. (2008) [5] Italy 18 cutaneous melanoma AS-PCR 82.2 (13/18) V600E 2+
9 Liu et al. (2007) [14] Australia 251 invasive AS-PCR 44.6 (112/251) V600E 2−
  primary melanomas     (T1799A)  

external commercial vendors;

DNA could be extracted from 52 (84%) of 62 FFPE tumor samples. Abbreviations: DPO, dual priming oligonucleotide; FFPET, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue; AS-PCR, allele specific-PCR.

Table 7.
Diagnostic concordance rate
Author No. of specimens (N) Research location Concordance rate (%), (N)
Lopez-Rios et al. [7] 108 Direct sequencing 96.3 (104/108)
  Direct sequencing 98.1 (105/108)
  + pyrosequencing  
Anderson et al. [8] 433 Direct sequencing 88.4 (383/433)
Halait et al. [9] 438 Direct sequencing 87.9 (385/438)
    Direct sequencing 96.3 (422/438)
    + pyrosequencing  
Schoenewolf et al. [10] 6 Direct sequencing 91.7 (33/36)
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