Molecular Analysis of Prothrombotic Gene Variants in Venous Thrombosis: A Potential Role for Sex and Thrombotic Localization

The relevance of prothrombotic genetic variants in women who experienced pregnancy loss or embryo implantation failure: A retrospective analysis of 1922 cases

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was that to assess the allelic and genotype frequencies of nine prothrombotic gene variants in patients with a history of pregnancy loss and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Women who underwent assisted reproductive technology (ART) with ongoing pregnancy and those with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) were also included.

METHODS

Nine prothrombotic gene variants were evaluated: factor V Leiden (FVL), factor V, H1299R variant (FVR2), factor II (FII) G20210A, methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C, beta-fibrinogen -455G>A, factor XIII (FXIII) V34L, human platelet antigen-1 (HPA-1) L33P variants, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G. The following study groups were assessed: (1) women who experienced one (n = 334) or two (n = 264) episodes of pregnancy loss; (2) 468 women who experienced RPL; (3) 214 women who underwent ART followed by ongoing pregnancies; and (4) 282 women who experienced RIF after ART, that is, three or more consecutive implantation failures following high-quality embryo transfers to the uterus with an appropriate endometrium. As control group, 430 subjects from the general population were enrolled.

RESULTS

FVL, the -455G>A variant of beta-fibrinogen, and PAI-1 4G were associated with a higher risk of developing RPL compared with the general population. Furthermore, FVL, FVR2, FII G20210A and MTHFR C677T conferred a significantly higher risk of RIF in women who performed ART compared with the general population. No statistical differences between the general population and other study groups were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Specific prothrombotic genetic variants are more frequently expressed in women with RPL and RIF, supporting their role in the development of polimicrothrombosis and impairing the invasion during embryo implantation.

Thrombophilia genetic mutations and their relation to disease severity among patients with COVID-19

OBJECTIVES

Patients with COVID-19 infection appear to develop virus-induced hypercoagulability resulting in numerous thrombotic events. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the thrombophilia genes mutations (prothrombin G20210A, factor V Leiden, and methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)) and the severity of COVID-19 patients.

DESIGN

Prospective cross-sectional study.

METHOD

One hundred and forty patients (80 adults and 60 children) were included in the current study. They were divided into the severe COVID-19 group and the mild COVID-19 group, with each group comprising 40 adults and 30 children. The patients were assessed for FV R506Q, FV R2H1299R, MTHFR A1298C, MTHFR C677T, and prothrombin gene G20210A polymorphisms. CBC, D-dimer, renal and liver function tests, hs-CRP, ferritin, and LDH were also assessed. Thrombotic events were clinically and radiologically documented.

RESULTS

Severe COVID-19 cases were significantly more frequent to have a heterozygous mutation for all the studied genes compared to mild COVID-19 cases (p<0.05 for all). Being mutant to gene FV R506Q carried the highest risk of developing a severe disease course (p<0.0001). Patients with abnormally high D-dimer levels were significantly more frequent to be heterozygous for FV R506Q, FV R2H1299R, and prothrombin gene G20210A (p = 0.006, 0.007, and 0.02, respectively).

CONCLUSION

We concluded that there is an evident relationship between severe COVID-19 and inherited thrombophilia. In the current study, FV R506Q gene mutation carried the highest risk of developing a severe COVID-19 disease course.

Vascular liver diseases: A sex-oriented analysis of the literature

Vascular liver diseases are an heterogenous group of diseases that collectively represent an important health issue in the field of liver diseases. This narrative review was elaborated by the Special Interest Group (SIG) "Gender in Hepatology" of the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF). We aimed to review the current knowledge regarding the potential role of biological sex in patients with vascular liver diseases such as splanchnic vein thrombosis, hepatic vein thrombosis, porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. As vascular liver diseases commonly affect young individuals, including women in childbearing age, we also included a specific section on the management of pregnancy in these challenging patients.

Risk Factors of Venous Thromboembolism in Sudanese Pregnant Women

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is one of the major causes of pregnancy-related mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to determine the frequency of factor V Leiden (FVL) and prothrombin G20210A polymorphisms and measure the plasma levels of protein C (PC), protein S (PS) and antithrombin (AT) in pregnant women with VTE and healthy pregnant women. This prospective case-control study determined the frequencies of FVL G1691A and prothrombin G20210A polymorphisms and measured the plasma levels of PC, PS and AT in 198 pregnant women with VTE and 198 healthy pregnant women. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) was used to detect the FVL G1691A polymorphisms and prothrombin G20210A gene mutations. The FVL G1691A polymorphism and prothrombin G20210A gene mutations were detected only in pregnant women with VTE, with frequencies of 4.0 and 0.5%, respectively. The highest frequency of FVL G1691A polymorphism was observed in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and positively associated with contraceptive use and termination. Pregnant women with VTE had significantly lower levels of PC, PS and AT than those of controls. In conclusion, among the VTE cases, FVL G1691A polymorphism and PC, PS and AT deficiencies were the most common findings in patients presenting with DVT. Antithrombin deficiency was more common than PC and PS deficiencies. Contraceptive use, high body mass index (BMI) and termination correlated strongly with FVL G1691A polymorphism and PC and PS deficiencies in patients with VTE.

Molecular Analysis of Prothrombotic Gene Variants in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and with Transient Ischemic Attack

Background and objectives: ischemic stroke (IS) is among the most frequent causes of death worldwide; thus, it is of paramount relevance to know predisposing factors that may help to identify and treat the high-risk subjects. Materials and Methods:we tested nine variants in genes involved in thrombotic pathway in 282 patients that experienced IS and 87 that had transient ischemic attacks (TIA) in comparison to 430 subjects from the general population (GP) of the same geographic area (southern Italy). We included cases of young and child IS to evaluate the eventual differences in the role of the analyzed variants. Results: we did not observe significant differences between TIA and the GP for any of the variants, while the allele frequencies of methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, beta-fibrinogen -455G>A and factor (FXIII) V34L were significantly higher in patients with IS than in the subjects from the GP. No significant interaction was observed with sex. Conclusions: the present data argue that some gene variants have a role in IS and this appears to be an interesting possibility to be pursued in large population studies to help design specific strategies for IS prevention.