Born to clot: the European burden.
Venous thrombosis is a common problem, predominantly afflicting people of European origin. This European predisposition has been explained to some extent by the recent characterization of factor V Leiden, and the G20210A prothrombin variant. Although it is clear that factor V Leiden is largely confined to Europeans, the world distribution of the prothrombin variant is not known. We have analysed samples from 22 different non-European countries and shown that this prothrombin variant is very rare outside Europe: one case occurring in India. The reason for the confined distribution of these two mutations is unclear.
Rees
D C
DC
MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, The John Radcliffe, Oxford.
Chapman
N H
NH
Webster
M T
MT
Guerreiro
J F
JF
Rochette
J
J
Clegg
J B
JB
D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000569:Americas / Q000208:ethnology; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*
C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V; D011516:Prothrombin