HIGH-FREQUENCY OF REARRANGEMENT OF THE RET PROTOONCOGENE (RET PTC) INCHINESE PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMAS/

The activation of RET protooncogene, through chromosomal translocation , is unique to papillary thyroid carcinomas. Rearrangement of the RET kinase domain to 3 partner genes has been described, of which the RET/ PTC1 is the most common. To investigate the frequency of RET rearrange ment in Chinese papillary thyroid carcinomas, we have performed RT-PCR to amplify specific RET/PTC transcripts. Among the papillary thyroid carcinomas of 11 patients examined, we have identified 2 containing RE T/PTC1, 3 containing RET/PTC2, and 1 containing RET/PTC3 oncogenes. Al though the cause of the high frequency of RET/PTC oncogenes in Chinese papillary thyroid carcinomas is unknown, our study suggests that RET rearrangement is an important genetic lesion underlying the developmen t of thyroid papillary carcinoma in Taiwan.