PREVALENCE OF THE PROTHROMBIN GENE VARIANT 20210-G-]A AMONG PATIENTS WITH MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of th e prothrombin variant allele 20210A among survivors of myocardial infa rction Background: The prothrombin gene variant has been identified as a novel genetic risk factor for venous thrombosis. However, the risk of developing arterial thrombosis as a result of the presence of this mutated allele is unknown. Methods: The G --> A transition at position 20210 of the 3'-untranslated region was determined in 220 survivors o f myocardial infarction and in 295 individuals from the general popula tion. Results: The prevalence of heterozygotes for the prothrombin mut ated allele was 3% among patients with myocardial infarction and 0.7% in the general population (P = 0.03). No age-related difference in the prevalence of the mutated allele was observed. However, for individua ls over 45 years old the prevalence among females was higher than amon g males (5% vs. 0%). Conclusion: These data suggest that being heteroz ygote for the allele variant 20210A of the prothrombin gene could be a genetic risk factor for developing myocardial infarction. (C) 1998 El sevier Science B.V.