[Correlation of KRAS gene mutations and clinicopathologic parameters in colorectal carcinoma]

To investigate the relationship between KRAS gene mutations and clinicopathological parameters in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

PCR-based direct sequencing was used to detect the mutations of KRAS gene and to correlate between clinicopathological characteristics and the presence of various KRAS mutations in 244 cases of CRC.

KRAS mutations were identified in 92 cases (37.7%) of CRC. Five types of mutation were detected at codon 12, including G12D (40 cases, 16.4%), G12V (16 cases, 6.6%), G12A (7 cases, 2.9%), G12S (5 cases, 2.0%) and G12C (4 cases, 1.6%). Two types of mutation were detected at codon 13, including G13D (17 cases, 7.0%) and G13C (2 cases, 0.8%). One type of mutation was detected in codon 61, i.e. Q61K (1 case, 0.4%). KRAS mutation rate was higher in females (45.6%, 36/79) than in males (32.1%, 53/165; P < 0.05), but not related to another clinicopathological characteristics.

Female CRC patients have a higher KRAS mutation rate than the male patients. KRAS mutation has no significant correlation with patient's age, tumor site, tumor gross appearance, degree of differentiation, depth of invasion, TNM stages, lymphatic invasion, abdominal or distant metastases and prognosis in this study.