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How do hemophilia A and hemophilia B differ in their missing clotting factors?
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blood disease
Peripheral blood smear revealing histopathologic features indicative of a blast crisis in a case of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Blast crisis occurs when one-fifth to one-third of the cells in the blood or bone marrow are immature blood cells, or blast cells. This phase of CML is characterized by fever, weakness, and an enlarged spleen.
Hemophilia A and hemophilia B are both hereditary bleeding disorders characterized by a deficiency in specific proteins required for blood coagulation. They differ based on which clotting factor is missing:1
- Hemophilia A: This condition is caused by a deficiency of factor VIII, which is also known as the antihemophilic factor.12
- Hemophilia B: Also referred to as Christmas disease, this form is caused by a deficiency of factor IX.1
Both types are typically sex-linked and occur almost exclusively in males. Management for both conditions often involves the infusion of the missing clotting factor, which can be derived from human blood or produced through recombinant DNA technology.1