Antihemophilic factor

Antihemophilic factor, also known as Factor VIII (FVIII), is a critical blood clotting protein that plays a significant role in the coagulation cascade. It is an essential component in the process of blood coagulation and wound healing. Deficiency or dysfunction of this factor results in Hemophilia A, a genetic disorder that prevents blood from clotting normally.

Function

The primary function of the antihemophilic factor is to form a complex with Factor IX (FIX), another blood clotting protein. This complex, known as the tenase complex, activates Factor X (FX), which in turn triggers a series of reactions leading to the formation of a blood clot.

Genetics

The gene for antihemophilic factor is located on the X chromosome, which means that hemophilia A is an X-linked recessive disorder. Males who inherit a defective copy of the gene from their mothers will have the disease, while females who inherit one defective copy are carriers and can pass the disorder on to their sons.

Treatment

Treatment for hemophilia A involves replacing the deficient antihemophilic factor. This is typically done through intravenous infusion of FVIII concentrates. These concentrates can be derived from donated human blood, or they can be synthetically produced in a laboratory using recombinant DNA technology.

See also

• Hemophilia
• Blood clotting
• Coagulation cascade
• Factor IX
• Factor X
• X-linked recessive

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