Vasc Spec Int.  2016 Mar;32(1):6-10. 10.5758/vsi.2016.32.1.6.

Role of Hyperhomocysteinemia and Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase C677T Polymorphism in Idiopathic Portal Vein Thrombosis

• Ghaznavi H
• Soheili Z
• Samiei S
• Soltanpour MS

• KMID: 2162124
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5758/vsi.2016.32.1.6

Abstract

PURPOSE
Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare and life-threatening vascular disorder characterized by obstruction or narrowing of the portal vein. Hyperhomocysteinemia and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism has been studied in PVT patients with conflicting results. In the present study the association of hyperhomocysteinemia and MTHFR C677T polymorphism with PVT risk was investigated in Iranians.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our study population consisted of 10 idiopathic PVT patients and 80 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. MTHFR C677T polymorphism was genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction technique combined with restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay method.
RESULTS
Mean plasma tHcy levels were significantly higher in PVT patients (20.2±6.8) than control subjects (10.9±4.7) (P=0.001). Moreover, plasma tHcy levels were significantly higher in 677T allele carriers relative to 677C allele carriers in both PVT patients (P=0.01) and control subjects (P=0.03). Neither homozygote nor heterozygote genotypes of MTHFR C677T polymorphism correlated significantly with PVT risk (P>0.05). Moreover, MTHFR C677T polymorphism didn't increase the risk of PVT under dominant (CT+TT vs. CC) or recessive (TT vs. CC+CT) genetic models analyzed (P>0.05). The difference in frequency of minor 677T allele between PVT patients and control subjects was not statistically significant (P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Based on the current study, we suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia constitutes a significant and common risk factor for PVT. Also, MTHFR C677T polymorphism is not a risk factor for PVT but is a contributing factor for elevated plasma tHcy levels.

Keyword

Homocysteine; Portal vein thrombosis; Genetic polymorphism; Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

MeSH Terms

Alleles
Genotype
Heterozygote
Homocysteine
Homozygote
Humans
Hyperhomocysteinemia*
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)*
Models, Genetic
Plasma
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Polymorphism, Genetic
Portal Vein*
Risk Factors
Venous Thrombosis*
Homocysteine
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)