Genetic polymorphisms of the A and B subunits of human coagulation factor XIII in mainland Italy and Sardinia: description of a new FXIIIA variant allele.

The distribution of the two alleles of FXIIIA and the three alleles of FXIIIB were studied in populations from mainland Italy and from Sardinia. The frequencies of the FXIIIA2 allele were 0.266 and 0.265. The frequencies of FXIIIB1 were 0.787 and 0.765; of B2, 0.070 and 0.094; of B3, 0.143 and 0.141. A new cathodal FXIIIA allele (A*7) was described in the Rome sample. No significant difference in the distribution of allele frequencies for either system was found between the two populations studied. For typing both markers, good results were also obtained by using whole blood instead of plasma.