THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF FACTOR-VII AND ITS ACTIVITY STATE WITH PLASMA-LIPIDS IN HEALTHY MALE-ADULTS

A close inter-relationship between raised factor VII clotting activity and elevated blood lipids, particularly serum triglycerides, is well established. A study of factor VII, its activation state and of plasma lipids has been undertaken in two groups of healthy middle-aged males to elucidate this mechanism. A control group with normal factor VII l evels were closely matched for age and body-mass index with a second g roup with elevated levels. Factor VII assays, using rabbit and bovine thromboplastin and a factor VII Ag method, were employed. Triglyceride s correlated with the rabbit factor VII thromboplastin assay and facto r VII Ag (P<0.05) but not with the bovine thromboplastin method. Highe r HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels were found in subjects with increased factor VII (P<0.001) and appeared to be due to differe nces in alcohol consumption. Cholesterol levels were significantly hig her with elevated factor VII. Differential testing suggests that highe r factor VII is predominantly mediated through a rise in total VII, ra ther than an increase in its activity state.