Summary

It was the aim of the present study to investigate factor II levelsin liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with portal vein thrombosis(PVT) carrying the heterozygous G20210A prothrombin (PT)mutation. Plasma concentrations of factor II,VII, X,V, protein C(PC) total protein S (tPS) antithrombin (AT) and D-dimers (DD)were measured in 13 LC patients with PVT heterozygous for PTG20210A, in 13 LC patients with PVT without PT G20210A and in 13 LC controls matched by age, sex and Child-Pugh score.Crude factor II and factor II/DD ratio were highest in LC patientswith PVT heterozygous for PT G20210A (p=0.03 andp=0.02 respectively).The factor II/PC ratio, expression of a procoagulant/anticoagulant imbalance was highest in the samegroup (p=0.0008). Plasma factor II levels are elevated in LCpatients heterozygous for PT G20210A and may favour PVT.