Factor V Leiden Mutation Frequency and Geographical Distribution in Turkish Population

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thrombophilia is a term used to define the conditions creating a tendency toward thrombosis. Factor V Leiden (FVL) is the most frequently observed genetic risk factor, and its frequency varies among societies and ethnicities. In this study, our aim is to identify the frequency of FVL mutation in patients with thrombosis, the frequency of FVL mutation for each thrombosis disease, whether there is any difference in the geographical distribution of FVL mutation in the Turkish population, correlation with age and gender, and correlation with arterial and venous thrombosis. METHODS: This is an observational case–control and retrospective study. Cases with the FVL mutation examination with clinical provisional diagnosis of arterial and/or venous thrombosis delivered and with the thrombosis proven by radiological visualization methods and laboratory examinations have been planned to be considered and assessed as cases with thrombosis. RESULTS: A total of 67 patients with thrombosis and 22 patients without thrombosis have been included within the study. Twenty-six of the cases with thrombosis were from the Black Sea region, 21 were from Eastern Anatolia, 12 were from Central Anatolia, 5 were from Marmara, and 3 were from Southeastern Anatolia. Eleven of the cases without thrombosis were from the Black Sea region, 1 was from Eastern Anatolia, 5 were from Central Anatolia, 2 were from Marmara, 1 was from Southeastern Anatolia, and 2 were from the Aegean region. The significance was resulted from the identification of thrombosis prevalence rate as significantly high in the Eastern Anatolian region. DISCUSSION: FVL mutation frequency is quite common in our country, and there are significant differences particularly in terms of regional distribution. Furthermore, FVL mutation is solely not the risk factor for thrombosis, and other coexisting genetic and acquired risk factors are substantial causes for the development of thrombosis.