Frequent and Rare HABP2 Variants Are Not Associated with Increased Susceptibility to Familial Nonmedullary Thyroid Carcinoma in the Spanish Population

Background/Aims: A genomic HABP2 variant was proposed to be responsible for familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma (FNMTC). However, its involvement has been questioned in subsequent studies. We aimed to identify genetic HABP2 mutations in a series of FNMTC patients and investigate their involvement in the disease. Methods: HABP2 was sequenced from 6 index patients. Presence of the variants was investigated in all members of one family. Somatic BRAF and RAS hotspot mutations were investigated by the IdyllaTM BRAF Mutation Test and/or Sanger sequencing. Results: Two HABP2 variants (p.E393Q and p.G534E) were identified in the index patient from one family with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) (follicular variant). The prevalence of p.E393Q in Spanish control alleles was 0.5% and that of p.G534E was 5.1%. However, neither change cosegregated with the phenotype in 3 affected members and 5 healthy members of the kindred. Interestingly, all 3 members affected by PTC harbored the p.V600E somatic mutation in BRAF. Conclusions: The variant G534E is prevalent in the Spanish population (5.1%); however, p. E393Q is rare (< 1%) and none cosegregated with the FNMTC phenotype. The presence of the noninheritable V600E BRAF mutation in this family supports Knudson's double-hit hypothesis for cancer development and suggests the involvement of more than 1 gene in the clinical expression of FNMTC. (C) 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel