Scientists have identified a new gene, factor XII C46T, linked to cerebral venous thrombosis, a condition that causes blood clots in the veins of the brain that leading to stroke and is more common in young and middle-aged women.
Washington, Jan 8 : Scientists have identified a new gene, factor XII C46T, linked to cerebral venous thrombosis, a condition that causes blood clots in the veins of the brain that leading to stroke and is more common in young and middle-aged women.
The study led by Christoph Lichy, MD, of the University of Heidelberg in Germany, compared 78 people with cerebral venous thrombosis in Germany to 201 healthy people.
XII C46T was found to be more common in people with cerebral venous thrombosis than in healthy people.
The researchers also found that a total of 16.7 pct of those with cerebral venous thrombosis had the gene variant, compared to 5.5 percent of those without the condition.
However, the results were found to be the same after adjusting for factors that could affect blood clotting, such as age, gender, smoking, and use of oral contraceptives.
"These results need to be confirmed, but it appears that people with cerebral venous thrombosis should be tested for this gene and should be considered for use of blood thinning medication to prevent future blood clots," said Lichy.
Other genetic variants have also been linked to cerebral venous thrombosis.
This research is published in the latest issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
ANI