Two polymorphisms of the FVII gene and their impact on the risk of myocardial infarction in poles under 45 years of age

High levels of coagulation factor VII (FVII) in plasma have been associated with the increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in some studies. Both environmental and genetic factors are responsible for different levels of FVII in plasma. In the FVII gene there are two common polymorphisms (−323A1/A2 and IVS7) which are related to the level of FVII. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of these polymorphisms on the risk of acute myocardial infarction in Poles under 45 years of age. We performed a case-control study of 266 patients with the history of MI. All patients had the first incidence of MI before 45 years of age. The control group consisted of 137 healthy individuals older than 45 years. Carriers of the A2 allele (−323A1/A2 polymorphism) have a lower risk of MI than non-carriers (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.20−0.80). The IVS7 polymorphism was shown not to be related to MI in this study. Our findings suggest that the −323A1/A2 polymorphism of the FVII gene is related to the risk of MI in Polish individuals. We pointed that plasma cholesterol (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.03−1.18), arterial hypertension (OR = 3.84, 95% CI = 1.99−7.43) and family history (OR = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.57−4.73) are significant predictors of acute myocardial infarction.