title: Prevalence of the coagulation factor XIII polymorphism Val34Leu in women with recurrent miscarriage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent miscarriage (RM) syndrome is not an uncommon obstetrical problem of multifactorial etiology. We investigated the role of the coagulation factor XIII (FXIII) Val34Leu polymorphism in RM.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 80 subjects (40 normal and 40 with history of RM; of each group 20 pregnant and 20 non-pregnant) and analyzed the prevalence of this polymorphism. The women recruited for the present study had similar age and did not have history of any hemostatic disorders. FXIII levels and activity and the rate of fibrin cross-linking by FXIII genotype Val34Val and Val34Leu were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Genotype analyses of patients and normal revealed that the frequencies distribution of Val/Val and Val/leu were statistically similar (P<0.05): 62.5% and 60%, and 37.5% and 40%, respectively; no Leu/leu genotype was found. The FXIII-A subunit levels and activity were also found similar between Val/Val and Val/leu genotypes in the different groups, pregnant and non-pregnant, normal or with RM. The rate of FXIII alpha and gamma-chains fibrin cross-linking was not different between the 2 genotypes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From our results we conclude that FXIII Val34Leu polymorphism does not appear to be associated to RM.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, República Bolivariana de Venezuela.
authors.forename: Ysabel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: López Ramírez
authors.forename: Merlín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vivenes
authors.forename: Aixa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Aníbal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pulido
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López Mora
authors.forename: Carmen Luisa
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Arocha-Piñango
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchi
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D000328:Adult; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D005176:Factor XIII / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005176:Factor XIII