PREVALENCE OF FACTOR-XII (HAGEMAN-FACTOR) DEFICIENCY AMONG 426 PATIENTS WITH CORONARY HEART-DISEASE AWAITING CARDIAC-SURGERY

Background: Several case reports of myocardial infarction in patients with factor XII deficiency have been published. In the present study w e investigated the prevalence of this condition. Methods: Factor XII a ctivity (one-stage clotting assay), fibrinogen (derived method), and l ipoprotein (a) (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were measured in th e plasma of 426 consecutive patients with coronary heart disease await ing cardiac surgery. Results: Among the 426 patients, 44 (10.3%) were found to be moderately deficient in factor XII (factor XII activity 17 -50%, antigen 15-57%). The prevalence of factor XII deficiency was sig nificantly higher (P < 0.0001) among patients with coronary heart dise ase than among 300 healthy blood donors (2.3%). Among coronary heart d isease patients with this deficiency, elevated levels of fibrinogen, l ipoprotein (a), and blood pressure were no more prevalent than in thos e without the deficiency; nor were cigarette smoking or a positive fam ily history of thromboembolism more prevalent. Conclusions: Coronary h eart disease patients showed a 10% prevalence of factor XII deficiency . However, the pattern of atherosclerotic risk factors did not differ between patients with or without the deficiency.