title: ABO blood groups and genetic risk factors for thrombosis in Croatian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the association between ABO blood group genotypes and genetic risk factors for thrombosis (FV Leiden, prothrombin G20210A, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutations) in the Croatian population and to determine whether genetic predisposition to thrombotic risk is higher in non-OO blood group genotypes than in OO blood group genotypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 154 patients with thrombosis and 200 asymptomatic blood donors as a control group. Genotyping to 5 common alleles of ABO blood groups was performed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). FV Leiden was determined by PCR-SSP, while prothrombin and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase were determined by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an association between non-OO blood group genotypes and the risk of thrombosis (odds ratio [OR] 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-3.27). The strongest association with thrombotic risk was recorded for A1B/A2B blood group genotypes (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.10-6.74), followed by BB/O1B/O2B (OR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.25-4.21) and O1A1/O2A1 (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.15-3.31). FV Leiden increased the risk of thrombosis 31-fold in the group of OO carriers and fourfold in the group of non-OO carriers. There was no significant difference in the risk of thrombosis between OO and non-OO blood groups associated with prothrombin mutation. Non-OO carriers positive for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase had a 5.7 times greater risk of thrombosis than that recorded in OO carriers negative for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study results confirmed the association of non-OO blood group genotypes with an increased risk of thrombosis in Croatia.
authors.affiliation: Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Petrova 3, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. irena.jukic@hztm.hr
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jukic
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bingulac-Popovic
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dogic
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Culej
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomicic
authors.forename: Tomislav
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vuk
authors.forename: Dorotea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarlija
authors.forename: Melita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balija
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005165:Factor V / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; C095381:factor V Leiden; D005165:Factor V; D011516:Prothrombin; D042965:Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)