Question

How is hemophilia treated? Why is hemophilia rare in females?

Answer 1

Hemophilia is a genetically inherited disorder. The victims of hemophilia have defect in gene that produces blood clotting factor VIII or XII hence, they suffer from poor blood clotting, abnormal bleeding, etc. Hemophilia is an X linked recessive disorder where a gene is mutated and results in the production of a defective clotting factor. There are two different types of hemophilia, hemophilia A, and hemophilia B. These two differ based on the genes which are mutated.

Since it is an X linked recessive disorder males are more prone to hemophilia as they have only one allele for the particular gene. In females, the chances of having hemophilia are rare since they have two X chromosomes. Even though hemophilia is rare in females, if both X chromosomes contain the mutated genes they will suffer from hemophilia.

Treatment

Hemophilia is commonly treated by replacing the blood clotting factors (Replacement therapy). Desmopressin, a drug which stimulates platelets to form blood clotting is also used to treat hemophilia A.

Researchers are now examining the possibility of using gene therapy for the treatment of hemophilia.