Summary
Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), a recently described inhibitor
of fibrinolysis, has been hypothesized as playing a role in atherothrombosis. However,
the evidence from retrospective studies, which have evaluated the role of TAFI in
vascular risk, is conflicting.
In a prospective cohort (the PRIME Study) of nearly 10 000 apparently healthy men
recruited in France (Lille, Strasbourg, Toulouse) and Northern Ireland (Belfast),
we measured baseline plasma concentration of TAFI antigen among 143 participants (81
from France and 62 from Ireland) who subsequently developed angina pectoris and among
286 age-matched participants who remained free of disease during the 5 years of follow-up.
Genotyping of the Ala147Thr polymorphism located in the TAFI gene was performed using
an allele specific PCR. In France, mean levels of TAFI were significantly higher at
baseline among men who subsequently developed angina pectoris compared with their
control subjects (119 versus 107 %; p = 0.02). The risk of future angina pectoris
increased with increasing tertiles of TAFI (p = 0.02), such that men in the highest
tertile at study entry had a 5-fold higher relative risk than those in the lowest
tertile (95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 18.58) after controlling for the conventional
cardiovascular risk factors. No such difference was observed in Northern Ireland.
In France, Thr/Thr carriers of the Ala147Thr polymorphism were significantly more
frequent in cases than in controls (p = 0.01) leading to a relative risk of angina
pectoris of 2.7 (95%CI 1.2-5.8).
Increase in plasma TAFI antigen levels is a risk factor for angina pectoris in France.
Genotyping for the Ala147Thr polymorphism seems to be a reliable tool to assess the
risk mediated by TAFI.
Keywords
Angina - arteriosclerosis - coronary disease - fibrinolysis - myocardial infarction