Contribution of coagulation factor VII R353Q, −323P0/10 and HVR4 polymorphisms to coronary artery disease in Tunisians

We examined the contribution of two factor VII (FVII) bi-allelic (R353Q, −323P0/10) and one tandem repeat (HVR4) polymorphisms to the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Tunisians. Study subjects comprised 308 CAD patients and 312 age-, gender- and ethnically-matched controls. Regression analysis was used in assessing the FVII association to CAD risk. While the distribution of −323P0/10 alleles and genotypes were comparable between cases and controls, marginal association of the R353Q variant was noted, with the Q allele (19.1 vs. 23.8 %; P = 0.05) and Q allele-containing genotypes (R/Q + Q/Q; 33.8 vs. 48.0 %) being slightly under-represented in cases than in controls. On the other hand, four alleles of FVII microsatellite HVR4 were detected at variable frequencies in Tunisians, and comprised H6 (63.2 %), H7 (33.8 %), and to lesser extents H5 (1.9 %) and H8 (0.8 %). Of these, the H7 variant was under-represented in patients [P = 0.038; OR (95 %CI) = 0.75 (0.58–0.97)]. Of the major genotypes detected (H6/H6, H6/H7, H7/H7) only H6/H6 was positively associated with CAD [P = 0.047; OR (95 %CI) = 1.39 (1.00–1.94)]. In conclusion, our study underscores the role of polymorphisms in the FVII gene in modulating the susceptibility to CAD in (North African) Tunisian Arabs.