Summary
Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) has been associated with a hypercoagulable state.
Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) may contribute to a hypercoagulable
state, and therefore we were interested in the role of TAFI in SVT. Since the disease
is frequently associated with liver insufficiency, which affects plasma levels ofTAFI,
we studied the role of variation in theTAFI gene in SVT. In a multicenter case-control
study on 118 patients with SVT (39 Budd-Chiari syndrome and 85 portal vein thrombosis)
and 118 population-based controls, the relationship of SVT with single nucleotide
polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes in the TAFI gene (- 438G/A, Ala147Thr, Thr325Ile
and 1583A/T) was determined. The risk for SVT was decreased (OR 0.2,95% CI 0.1–0.7)
in 147Thr/Thr homozygotes and slightly,but not significantly,increased in carriers
of the 325Ile allele (OR 1.6, 95%CI 0.9–2.7). Haplotype analysis confirmed that the
Ala147Thr SNP has the strongest association with risk of SVT. In conclusion, genetic
variation in the TAFI gene is associated with risk of SVT, suggesting a role for TAFI
in the pathogenetic mechanism of SVT.
Keywords
Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor - Budd-Chiari syndrome - portal vein thrombosis
- single nucleotide polymorphism - splanchnic vein thrombosis - inflammation - fibrinolysis