Acquired haemophilia
What is acquired haemophilia?
Acquired haemophilia is a rare condition that it is thought to occur in only 1-2 people in a million. It can affect males and females, unlike hereditary haemophilia, which affects mostly males.
In hereditary haemophilia, an affected gene either partially or totally prevents the production of the clotting factor (click here for more information).
In contrast, in acquired haemophilia, the immune system believes the body's own clotting factor is foreign and makes antibodies, known as inhibitors, which neutralise it.
What causes acquired haemophilia?
In about half the cases of acquired haemophilia, the cause is never established. It is sometimes associated with another illness, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma, psoriasis and cancer. Very rarely, it may be triggered by pregnancy or as a reaction to some medicines.
How is acquired haemophilia treated?
Although acquired haemophilia can be very serious, there are a number of treatments that are often highly successful.
Treatment options fall broadly into two categories:
- Stopping the immediate bleeding
- Eliminating the inhibitors that are causing the problem
If bleeding is present, stopping this is the first priority; this normally involves treatment with clotting factor. Bleeding may be treated by:
- Factor concentrates, which aid the blood clotting (coagulation) process, such as:
- High dose human or recombinant (genetically engineered) factor VIII
- Bypassing agents, such as FEIBA, clotting factors
The inhibitors can be eliminated in a number of ways. There is a general consensus that eradicating the inhibitor is started as soon as a diagnosis is made, therefore Acquired Haemophilia is more likely to be acute/ temporary - rather than permanent.
