Genetic influences on fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activatorantigen and von Willebrand factor in males and females

Marlies de Lange; Eco J. C. de Geus; Cornelis Kluft; Piet Meijer; Lorenz J. P. van Doornen; Dorret I. Boomsma; Harold Snieder

doi:10.1160/TH05-09-0596

Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Table of Contents

Thromb Haemost 2006; 95(03): 414-419
DOI: 10.1160/TH05-09-0596

Blood Coagulation, Fibrinolysis and Cellular Haemostasis

Schattauer GmbH

Genetic influences on fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activatorantigen and von Willebrand factor in males and females

Marlies de Lange

¹Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

,

Eco J. C. de Geus

¹Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

,

Cornelis Kluft

²Gaubius Laboratory, TNO Quality of Life, Leiden, The Netherlands

,

Piet Meijer

²Gaubius Laboratory, TNO Quality of Life, Leiden, The Netherlands

,

Lorenz J. P. van Doornen

³Department of Health Psychology Universiteit Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

,

Dorret I. Boomsma

¹Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

,

Harold Snieder

⁴Georgia Prevention Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA

⁵Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Summary

Differences in genetic influence on death from CHD between males and females have been reported. Haemostatic factors have consistently been associated with risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), but sex differences in genetic architecture have not been studied. This study in middle-aged twins investigates whether there are sex differences in means and in genetic and/ or environmental variance components of haemostatic risk factors for CHD. A total of 93 monozygotic twin pairs (44 male and 49 female) and 116 dizygotic twin pairs (36 male, 40 female and 40 opposite sex) were available for this study. Structural equation modelling was used to estimate the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors on variation in levels of fibrinogen, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) antigen and von Willebrand factor (vWF). Mean levels of tPA and vWF increased with age. Oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and menopause had significant influences on levels of fibrinogen and tPA. Genetic influences explained 39, 66 and 72% of the variation in levels of fibrinogen, tPA and vWF, respectively. No quantitative or qualitative differences of genetic influences on haemostatic levels were seen between males and females. Haemostatic factors may account fora significant part of the genetic risk for cardiovascular disease. No difference in genetic architecture for levels of fibrinogen, tPA or vWF was observed between males and females.

Keywords

Twins - haemostasis - heritability - sex differences - oral contraceptive pill

Full Text

References

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