title: Functional polymorphisms of FGA, encoding alpha fibrinogen, are associated with susceptibility to venous thromboembolism in a Taiwanese population.
abstract: To determine the genetic risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE), this study examined 14 genetic variants from 10 hemostatic genes in 186 Taiwanese VTE patients and the same number of matched controls, which demonstrated FGA (encoding alpha fibrinogen) Thr312Ala polymorphism was the only variant significantly associated with VTE. Nine genetic polymorphisms on the fibrinogen cluster region of chromosome 4q28 were further studied, in which four FGA polymorphisms were found in strong linkage disequilibrium and were significantly associated with VTE by genotype and allele frequency analyses. Haplotype analysis showed significantly different FGA haplotype frequencies between VTE patients and controls with the haplotype F1, containing -1051G, -3A, 312Ala and TaqI duplication alleles, significantly associated with susceptibility to VTE (P = 0.001). Haplotype-pair analysis results also indicated a strong association of the haplotype-pair F1F1 with VTE in various VTE patient subgroups. In vitro functional analysis indicated that FGA -1051G, -3A and TaqI duplication alleles enhanced significantly the transcription level of FGA; however, control subjects with FGA genotypes containing these alleles had no elevated plasma fibrinogen levels. In conclusion, our experimental data indicated that functional genetic variants in FGA are risk factors for VTE in Taiwanese populations. Determination of FGA genotypes will likely contribute to primary prevention of this condition.
authors.affiliation: The First Cardiovascular Division, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 199, Tung-Hwa North Road, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. yulinkotw@yahoo.com.tw
authors.forename: Yu-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Lung-An
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Tsu-Shiu
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Chia-Ti
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Ming-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Semon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chi-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ying-Shiung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013624:Taiwan; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000235:genetics*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D005340:Fibrinogen; D008156:Luciferases