The inter-relationship of factor VII and its activity state with plasma lipids in healthy male adults.

A close inter-relationship between raised factor VII clotting activity and elevated blood lipids, particularly serum triglycerides, is well established. A study of factor VII, its activation state and of plasma lipids has been undertaken in two groups of healthy middle-aged males to elucidate this mechanism. A control group with normal factor VII levels were closely matched for age and body-mass index with a second group with elevated levels. Factor VII assays, using rabbit and bovine thromboplastin and a factor VII Ag method, were employed. Triglycerides correlated with the rabbit factor VII thromboplastin assay and factor VII Ag (P < 0.05) but not with the bovine thromboplastin method. Higher HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels were found in subjects with increased factor VII (P < 0.001) and appeared to be due to differences in alcohol consumption. Cholesterol levels were significantly higher with elevated factor VII. Differential testing suggests that higher factor VII is predominantly mediated through a rise in total VII, rather than an increase in its activity state.