Thrombophilia: a risk factor for cerebral palsy?
BACKGROUND
The cause of cerebral palsy remains unknown in most cases. Factor V Leiden mutation, a common cause of hereditary thrombophilia, has been associated with CP.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the prevalence of factor V Leiden (G1691A), prothrombin (G20210A), and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (C677T) mutations in children with CP.


METHODS
Sixty-one Jewish and Arab children with CP were studied for the presence of the three gene mutations associated with thrombophilia.


RESULTS
We found that 41% of the children with CP and 33% of the controls carry one or more of the studied mutations (P = 0.348). The prevalence of the factor V mutation was 27.9% in CP and 16.4% in controls (P= 0.127). The frequency of the other two genetic factors was even less significant. The FVL mutation was found in 35% of the Arab CP patients (15/42) and in 22% of the controls from the same population (9/40) (P= 0.067).


CONCLUSIONS
Each of the genetic factors studied was shown to be related to CP. Despite the high frequency of FVL among the studied patients, we were unable to prove a significant correlation between FVL and CP, mainly because this factor is frequent in the Arab control group. In this population a trend toward significance can be seen (P= 0.067). Larger studies are needed to validate the significance of these results.
Yehezkely-Schildkraut
Vered
V
Department of Pediatrics B, HaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
Kutai
Miriam
M
Hugeirat
Yaser
Y
Levin
Carina
C
Shalev
Stavit Alon
SA
Mazor
Galia
G
Koren
Ariel
A
D000293:Adolescent; D018912:Arabs; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007557:Israel; D007585:Jews; D008297:Male; D008754:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase (NADP) / Q000235:genetics; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*
C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V; D011516:Prothrombin; D008754:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase (NADP)