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Published on: September 9, 2012

Elevated factor XIII level and the risk of myocardial infarction in women

Zsuzsanna Bereczky, Emilia Balogh, Eva Katona

    Haematologica
    |February 14, 2007
    PubMed

    Insights

    Factor XIII (FXIII) levels are higher in women with coronary sclerosis and myocardial infarction history. Elevated FXIII in women increases myocardial infarction risk, suggesting a potential biomarker.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiovascular Medicine
    • Hematology
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Factor XIII (FXIII) is crucial for hemostasis.
    • Coronary artery disease (CAD) involves atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (MI).
    • The role of FXIII in CAD pathogenesis, particularly sex-specific differences, remains under investigation.

    Discussion:

    • This study investigated FXIII activity and antigen levels in relation to coronary sclerosis (CS) and myocardial infarction (MI) in a large patient cohort undergoing coronary angiography.
    • Findings indicate that in females, elevated FXIII levels (both activity and antigen) are significantly associated with the presence of coronary sclerosis and a history of myocardial infarction.
    • Conversely, such associations were not observed in males, highlighting a potential sex-specific role for FXIII in cardiovascular disease.

    Key Insights:

    • Adjusted FXIII activity and antigen levels were significantly elevated in female patients with both coronary sclerosis and a history of myocardial infarction compared to those with coronary sclerosis but no infarction history.
    • Higher FXIII levels (in the upper tertile) were linked to a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction specifically in females.
    • No significant association between FXIII levels and myocardial infarction risk was found in males.

    Outlook:

    • Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanisms underlying the sex-specific association between FXIII and myocardial infarction.
    • FXIII may represent a potential predictive biomarker for cardiovascular events in women.
    • Investigating therapeutic strategies targeting FXIII could offer novel avenues for managing cardiovascular disease in at-risk female populations.

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