NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), homozygosity for mannose-binding lectin (MBL) variant alleles raises the risk of arterial thrombosis, according to a report by Danish researchers published in the July 15th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. In contrast, there is no apparent effect on venous thrombosis.
Such variant alleles have been linked to SLE and to severe atherosclerosis, say the authors. However, it is unclear if they are associated with an increased risk of arterial thrombosis.
To investigate, Dr. Soren Jacobsen, from Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, and colleagues tested for MBL variant alleles in 91 SLE patients. Fifty-four patients had no variant alleles, 30 were heterozygous for such alleles, and 7 were homozygous.
During a median follow-up of 9.1 years, all but one of the patients (86%) in the homozygous group developed arterial thrombosis. In contrast, the rates in the other two groups were comparable and did not exceed 24% (p < 0.001). After adjusting for known risk factors, homozygosity for the variant alleles raised the risk of arterial thrombosis by sevenfold.
A total of 14 patients developed venous thrombosis during follow-up, but the rates were similar in each group, the investigators point out. The fact that the venous thrombosis risk was not increased with homozygosity suggests that “MBL has a specific role in providing protection against arterial thrombosis,” they add.
Based on the findings, the authors conclude that MBL genotyping should be performed in SLE patients to guide prophylactic measures.
Source: N Engl J Med 2004;351:260-267. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Polymorphism, Single NucleotideCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
