PREVALENCE OF THE FACTOR V LEIDEN MUTATION IN PATIENTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO VENOUS THROMBOEMBOLISM

Backgorund
A tendency to venous thromboembolism is otherwise called hypercoagulability or thrombophilia. This disease can be acquired or have a genetic background, and may lead to pulmonary embolism. The basis for analysis and selection of treatment is genetic diagnosis, which detects the G1691A mutation in the factor V gene (factor V Leiden) – the best known congenital thrombophilia marker.

Material and methods
The study was carried out in the years 2015-2017 on samples taken from patients (462 men and 1284 women) with a tendency to venous thromboembolism. Real-Time PCR was used to detect G1691A mutation in factor V gene. The analyses were performed in the Hematology Laboratory of the Center of Laboratory Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk.

Results
Significant differences in the frequency of Leiden mutation were shown. This mutation predominated in men (25%), while in women G1691A mutation was detected with a 15% frequency (p=0.04). All possible genotypes were found among the subjects and the percentage of heterozygotes and homozygotes in both genders was similar.

Conclusions
Congenital thrombophilia associated with G1691A mutation of factor V Leiden gene was found to be more common in men than in women. All possible genotypes were determined in the pool of test subjects. The mutation was most frequently detected in patients between 30 and 40 years of age, and rarely after 70 years of age.