Polymorphisms in the coagulation factor VII gene and the risk of myocardial infarction in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether coagulation factor VII (FVII) polymorphisms play a role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or myocardial infarction (MI) in a series of Hans. METHODS: The Arg(353)Gln and HVR4 polymorphisms of FVII gene were determined in 374 patients undergoing selective coronary angiography by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. RESULTS: The FVII genotype distribution was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of FVII genotypes or alleles did not show significant differences between the CAD group and the controls or between the males and the females. The frequencies of carriers of the Gln(353) allele and (Arg/Gln + Gln/Gln) genotypes were significantly higher in the CAD patients without MI than in those with MI (P = 0.031, odds ratio 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15 - 0.94). However, HVR4 polymorphisms were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Carrying the F VII Gln(353) gene may be a protective factor against MI in the Chinese Hans.