title: The V34L polymorphism of factor XIII and peripheral arterial disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Factor XIII catalyzes crosslinking of fibrin in the last steps of the coagulation process. A common polymorphism in the gene for factor XIII A subunit (F13A1 V34L) has been associated with a decreased risk for coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and deep venous thrombosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  To analyze the role of this polymorphism in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) we performed a case-control study including 873 patients with documented PAD and a total of 523 controls without vascular disease. The F13A1 genotype was determined by an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype distribution and allele frequencies were not significantly different between patients (VV: 51.9%; VL: 40.7%; LL: 7.4%) and controls (VV: 54.7%; VL: 39.2%; LL: 6.1%). Mean age at onset of the disease was significantly higher in LL homozygous subjects than in VV homozygous subjects (67.3 versus 64.1 years, p=0.017). Heterozygous subjects had an intermediate age at onset (65.1 years), suggesting a gene-dose effect. The association of the L34 variant with onset of PAD remained significant after adjustment for other risk factors. The effect was stronger in men than in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the F13A1 V34L polymorphism was not associated with the presence of PAD in our study, but may be linked to a later onset of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Angiology, Karl Franzens University, Graz, Austria. wilfried.renner@kfunigraz.ac.at
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brodmann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pabst
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stanger
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wascher
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pilger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D005176:Factor XIII / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005176:Factor XIII