Summary
Increased Factor XIIa concentrations have been found in association with coronary
artery disease. Recently, a common 46 C to T point mutation in exon 1 of the factor
XII gene has been described which is associated with lower FXII clotting activity
and lower zymogen levels in relation to possession of the T allele. It is not known
whether this polymorphism relates to the phenotypes of FXIIa in vivo or to coronary
artery disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the interaction of this polymorphism
with FXIIa plasma levels and to study the prevalence of the polymorphism in 266 patients
with suspected coronary artery disease characterised by angiography and in 185 healthy
controls. FXIIa levels were strongly associated with FXII genotype with lower levels
with increasing numbers of T alleles (p <0.0001). There was no difference between
the prevalence of this polymorphism in patients with MI compared to those without
MI and controls and between all patients and controls (p ≥0.2, chi-square test). There
was no association between extent of coronary artery disease (0, 1, 2, and 3 vessel
disease) and FXII genotype. In conclusion, the common 46 C to T point mutation is
strongly associated with FXIIa but the present study did not show an association with
coronary artery disease. The role of this polymorphism in other thrombotic disorders
such as ischemic stroke and venous thrombosis and its clinical significance in FXII
deficient states remains to be investigated.