Coagulation Factor XIII-A Val34Leu Polymorphism and the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Myocardial Infarction in a Chinese Han Population

There are controversial data regarding the impact of coagulation factor XIII A subunit (FXIII-A) Val34Leu polymorphism in the pathogeneric of coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI). Assuming this genetic factor is associated with the thrombotic process, we explored the role of FXIII-A Val34Leu in CAD and MI in a Chinese Han population. We recruited 195 consecutive patients with CAD confirmed by coronary angiography as well as a group of 203 controls. Factor XIII A Val34Leu polymorphism was determined through polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. We did not find the Leu/Leu genotype in patients with CAD or controls. No significant difference in Val34Leu gene polymorphism distribution was found between patients with CAD and the controls (P = .923). Subgroup analysis according to the history of MI showed the heterozygote Val/Leu genotype was associated with a significantly decreased risk of MI (P = .005; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-2.25). Furthermore, our study displayed that the frequency of the Leu34 allele in a Chinese Han population was lower than that in Caucasian populations (2.5 vs 20.4%-28.3%). Our preliminary data indicate that the FXIII-A Leu34 allele may contribute to a protective effect against the development of MI. There is a low prevalence of the Leu34 allele in Han Chinese compared to Caucasians.