Prevalence of the factor V Leiden mutation in human inflammatory bowel disease with different activity

Background: the developmental mechanism of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients is unknown, but it may be influenced by different environmental and genetical factors. Aims of this study were: (1) to classify the IBD patients according the disease activity; and (2) to determine the presence of factor V Leiden mutation in IBD patients. Patients and methods: the observation was carried out in 49 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 29 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). None of them had a history of thrombotic episodes. IBD was diagnosed by conventional clinical, endoscopic, radiological and histological criteria. The factor V Leiden mutation was detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) was evaluated using the method of the National Cooperative Crohn's Disease Study. We determined the UC disease activity according to Truelove-Witts classification. Results: The prevalence of factor V Leiden mutation was increased in both populations of the patients to compare it with healthy persons (14.28 and 27.58% vs. 5.26%, n = 7/49 and 8/29 vs. 3/57). The statistical analysis did not show a significant relationship between the CDAI or the Truelove-Witts grade in UC and the presence of Leiden mutation. Conclusion: the presence of factor V Leiden mutation probably has a role in the development of IBD. Our results suggest a higher prevalence of this mutation in Central European patients than in Southern, Northern Europe or America, may be due to the genetical differences of these populations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.