FACTOR-V-LEIDEN MUTATION IS NOT INCREASED IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are known to have an increased incidence of thromboembolic disease. Activated protein C re sistance (APCR) has been identified as one of several inherited disord ers of coagulation that predispose individuals to thromboembolic probl ems. This resistance results from st single point mutation in the fact or V gene, called factor V Leiden. It has been suggested that many pat ients with LED have APCR, as tested by a clotting assay. We have evalu ated a series of 49 patients with IBD, none of whom had a history of t hromboembolic disease. We assayed for the factor V Leiden mutation by polymerase chain reaction and found only one heterozygote. Seventeen o f the 49 patients were negative for APCR by the clotting assay. Factor V Leiden mutation is not more common in patients with IBD than in the general population. We were unable to confirm a prior report indicati ng that patients with IBD have a higher prevalence of resistance to ac tivated protein C.