Puzzling results from BAP1 germline mutations analysis in a group of asbestos-exposed patients in a high-risk area of northeast Italy

Background: Germline mutations of the oncosuppressor gene breast cancer 1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) were recently related to an autosomal-dominant tumor predisposition syndrome (BAP1-TPDS), characterized by uveal melanoma, malignant mesothelioma (MM), cutaneous melanoma, and other malignancies. The demonstration that BAP1 mutations are strongly associated with MM has provided a real breakthrough in the study of genetic predisposition in MM, that may explain why only a fraction of asbestos-exposed individuals go on to develop MM. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the possible role of BAP1 mutations in the epidemiology of sporadic MM, and their relationship with asbestos exposure, we determined the prevalence of germline BAP1 mutations by the Sanger method in a group of 29 asbestos-exposed patients, 21 of which were diagnosed with MM. They were residents of Trieste, a ship-building town in Northeast Italy with a very high incidence of mesothelioma. Results: We identified non-obviously pathogenetic germline sequence variants of BAP1 in 3/29 patients and in 2/21 MM cases (10%). Conclusion: Non obviously pathogenic germline sequence variants of BAP1 were found. Nevertheless, limitations of predictive web tools allowed us to comment on some interesting peculiarities of our findings.