Classification of exon 18 linked variants of VWF gene in von Willebrand disease.

Defects in von Willebrand factor, a crucial protein in haemostasis, lead to the most common inherited coagulopathy in man, von Willebrand disease. To date, over 350 mutations and 170 single nucleotide polymorphisms of VWF gene have been reported. In the present study, the distribution of two linked VWF gene variants, rs1063856 and rs1063857 have been assessed. The proportional frequency of rs1063856 (2365A/G) and rs1063857 (2385T/C) in healthy individuals were 0.70/0.30. Frequency of polymorphisms was in agreement with predicted geographical distribution. von Willebrand disease was more common in subjects with 2365A and 2385T alleles (odds ratio=1.35), although the difference was not statistically significant (p-values>0.05). The perfect correlation between these two single nucleotide polymorphisms supports their joint contribution in von Willebrand factor biology.