Association between clinicopathological features and BRAF V600E mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Background: The association between BRAF V600E mutation and clinicopathological features of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains controversial. This study aimed to explore its prognostic value via meta-analysis. Methods: Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies published before June 1, 2025. Pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the effect size, analyzed by R 4.4.2. Results: A total of 26 studies (2010–2024) involving 13,999 patients were included. BRAF V600E mutation was significantly positively associated with capsular invasion (OR=1.80, 95% CI:1.16–2.78) and extrathyroidal extension (OR=1.62, 95% CI:1.36–1.94), and negatively associated with concomitant Hashimoto's thyroiditis (OR=0.55, 95% CI:0.32–0.94). A marginal association trend was observed with gender, with male patients showing a higher likelihood of harboring the BRAF V600E mutation (OR=1.26, 95% CI:1.10–1.44, P=0.0525), while no significant associations were found with age, tumor size, multifocality, central or lateral lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: BRAF V600E mutation correlates with specific clinicopathological features of PTC and serves as a potential prognostic predictor.