Factor V Leiden and prothrombin gene G20210A mutations are uncommon in portal vein thrombosis in India.

BACKGROUND

Extra-hepatic portal vein obstruction due to portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is an important cause of portal hypertension in several regions including India. The cause of thrombosis in these patients remains unclear. We studied the frequency of mutations in genes for coagulation factors V and II (prothrombin) in 61 Indian patients with PVT and 49 healthy control subjects.

METHODS

The presence of factor V Leiden mutation and of G20210A prothrombin gene mutation was determined using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. Chi-squared test was used to compare patients and controls.

RESULTS

Of the 61 patients (median age 11 years; 47 male) studied, 49 were children. One of 61 (1.6%) patients with PVT was heterozygous for factor V Leiden mutation and none had the G20210 prothrombin gene mutation. The frequencies of these mutations were not different from those in control subjects (2/49 and 0/46, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Factor V Leiden and G20210 prothrombin gene mutations are infrequent in Indian patients with PVT. Thus, these mutations are unlikely to be responsible for PVT in the Indian population.