Risk of venous thromboembolism associated with the common hereditary haemochromatosis Hfe gene (C282Y) mutation

A high prevalence of a common mutation in the Hfe gene (C282Y) has recently been reported in patients with the factor V Leiden mutation and a history of thrombosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the relative risk of v enous thromboembolism in a large case-control study, 56/481 patients (11.6% ) and 57/497 controls (11.5%) were heterozygous for the C282Y allele giving an odds ratio of 1.02 (95%CI 0.69-1.51). 12/81 patients with the factor V Leiden mutation were heterozygous for the C282Y allele compared to 1/13 con trols, odds ratio 2.09 (95%CI 0.25-17.6). An analysis of a further group of patients and controls selected for the factor V Leiden mutation did not in dicate a higher prevalence of the C282Y allele in symptomatic patients, odd s ratio 0.17 (95%CI 0.34-0.81). This study does not support the hypothesis that the C282Y allele is an additional risk factor for venous thrombosis in patients with the factor V Leiden mutation.