Plasma levels and activity of the ULVWF multimer-cleaving protease ADAMTS13 were compared between coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and controls and were verified by the bioassay.
Our understanding of the pathophysiology of TTP has allowed us to grasp the important role of ADAMTS13 in other thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) and thrombotic disorders, such as ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease.
Interestingly, haplotype analysis indicated that the QAGA or H4 haplotype of ADAMTS13 gene had a protective effect on CAD after adjustment for ABO blood group [odds ratio (OR) = 0.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.1, 0.6] and major CAD risk factors (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1, 0.7).
In others, they are in proteins identified by GWAS as likely candidates for disease relevance, but previously without known mechanism, such as ADAMTS13 (ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 13) for coronary artery disease.
This first report studying the association between ADAMTS13 genotypes and cardiovascular events provides evidence for the association between ADAMTS13 900V variant and an increased risk of death in a population with multi-vessel CAD.