Isolated familial plasminogen deficiency may not be a risk factor for thrombosis.
Despite many reports of individuals with congenital plasminogen deficiency and thrombosis, there is still uncertainty whether heterozygous deficiency represents a real thrombophilic risk factor or simply a coincidental finding. We have addressed this issue by testing for plasminogen deficiency in a cohort of 9611 blood donors. Out of 66 donors with reduced plasminogen activity on two occasions 28 were shown to have a familial deficiency state (including 3 with dysplasminogenaemia). Our observed prevalence rate for familial plasminogen deficiency, calculated at 2.9/1000 (95% CI = 1.9-4.2 per 1000), was not significantly different from that calculated from published reports of congenital plasminogen deficiency in thrombotic cohorts (5.4/1000). Furthermore, with only two exceptions, all 80 donors and relatives with familial deficiency were asymptomatic with regard to thrombosis-including a 29 year old donor with suspected compound heterozygous hypoplasminogenaemia. These findings add further weight to the argument that familial heterozygous plasminogen deficiency, at least in isolation, does not constitute a significant thrombotic risk factor. However, it remains uncertain whether plasminogen deficiency, when combined with other thrombophilic conditions, may become more clinically important.
Tait
R C
RC
Department of Haematology, Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Walker
I D
ID
Conkie
J A
JA
Islam
S I
SI
McCall
F
F
D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010958:Plasminogen / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*
D010958:Plasminogen