Study Links Hereditary Factors to Abdominal Venous Thrombosis

A study conducted at the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, has revealed that hereditary and acquired risk factors play an important role in the clotting of blood in abdominal veins, a condition medically known as abdominal venous thrombosis.

Professor Ashok Chacko, the study leader, says that recognition and evaluation of these risk factors may help in therapy, and prevention of disease progression.

Venous Cut Down
Venous cut down is indicated when peripheral veins in the upper extremities are difficult to access because of obesity vascular collapse or frequent vein puncture (thrombosis).

He has revealed that hereditary risk factors for thrombophilia include Factor V Leiden gene mutation, Prothrombin gene mutation, homozygous methyl tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutation and deficiencies of coagulation inhibitor Protein C, Protein S and Antithrombin III.

During the study, the patients were divided into groups based on whether they had BCS or SVT. Twenty patients had SVT, 14 had BCS and 2 had mixed venous involvement.

All of them were tested for inherited and acquired risk factors for blood clotting.

Myeloproliferative Disorders
The myeloproliferative disorders include chronic myelogenous leukemia, polycythemia vera, myelofibrosis and essential thrombo-cythemia, because all of these entities may present with leukocytosis.

The researchers observed that 28 per cent patients had inherited and 28 per cent patients had acquired risk factors.

They also observed that acquired risk factors were significantly more common in patients with SVT, while hereditary risk factors were similar in patients with BCS and SVT.

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Multiple risk factors were present in seven per cent of the patients with BCS and 15 per cent patients with SVT. No risk factors were identified in 57 per cent of patients with BCS and 45 per cent with SVT.

Based on their observations, the researchers came to the conclusion that hereditary and acquired risk factors play an important role in aetiopathogenesis of abdominal venous thrombosis.

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However, since a significant number of patients lack obvious aetiology further research is required to identify as yet unrecognised risk factors, according to the researchers.

An article on the research has been published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Source-ANI
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