Polymorphisms of the factor VII gene and circulating FVII:C levels in relation to acute cerebrovascular disease and poststroke mortality.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: FVII:C has been shown to be an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction and is related to environmental and genetic factors. This study sought to investigate FVII:C levels and factor VII (FVII) gene polymorphisms in relation to stroke and disease outcome. METHODS: To examine the association of FVII:C and the Msp I and promoter insertion polymorphisms of the FVII gene in acute stroke, 317 patients and 198 age-matched control subjects were studied. RESULTS: FVII:C levels were significantly lower in patients at onset than 3 months later (119% versus 135%, respectively; P < .0005). Levels were significantly lower in patients at onset than in control subjects (124% [95% confidence interval, 120% to 129%] versus 141% [95% confidence interval, 135% to 148%], respectively; P < .0005) but were not significantly different at 3 months (135% [95% confidence interval, 128% to 141%] versus 141% [95% confidence interval, 135% to 148%], respectively). We found no difference in genotype distribution for either polymorphism between patients and control subjects, no difference in FVII:C level or genotype distribution between pathological types of stroke, and no relationship with poststroke mortality. Both polymorphisms were significantly associated with FVII:C levels in patients and control subjects. In a multiple regression model for patients, Msp I genotype, cholesterol, and smoking remained as independent predictors of FVII:C levels, accounting for 32% of interindividual variation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that neither FVII:C levels nor FVII gene polymorphisms are associated with cerebrovascular disease. There were no genotype-specific correlations of environmental factors with FVII:C, but there was evidence of an acute-phase or consumptive fall in FVII:C levels at the time of stroke, whereas levels increased to those similar for healthy age-matched control subjects by 3 months, when the acute phase had presumably subsided.

Levels of von Willebrand factor, insulin resistance syndrome, and a common vWF gene polymorphism in non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus.

To examine the association between von Willebrand Factor (vWF) concentrations and features of the insulin resistance syndrome, 208 patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes (NIDDM) and 80 healthy controls were studied. A restriction fragment length polymorphism in exon 12 of the vWF gene, detected by Aat II endonuclease, was also examined. vWF concentrations were elevated in the patient group (patients 1.28 IU ml-1 vs controls 1.12 IU ml-1, p = 0.003). Genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and genotype did not relate to vWF levels: means (95% CI) were AA 1.29 (1.29-1.44) IU ml-1 n = 3; AG 1.28 (1.22-1.26) IU ml-1 n = 48; GG 1.29 (1.25-1.39) IU ml-1 n = 155. vWF correlated with age (r = 0.23 p < 0.0005), duration of diabetes (r = 0.23, p < 0.001), and fibrinogen (r = 0.22, p = 0.002) in the patient group, but was unrelated to blood lipids, HbA1C, body mass index, glucose, hypertension, and smoking. In a linear regression model, age and insulin remained as independent predictors of vWF levels, explaining 16% of inter-individual variance in the patient group. In conclusion, these findings show vWF concentrations are elevated in NIDDM and are weakly related to features of the insulin resistance syndrome. No relationship was demonstrated between the gene polymorphism studied and vWF concentrations in this group.