What Is Factor VIII Deficiency?
Factor VIII deficiency is a blood disorder characterized by insufficient or poorly functioning factor VIII, one of the blood clotting factors, also known as anti-hemophilic factor (AHF). Factor VIII deficiency is the cause of hemophilia A, a disease in which the blood does not clot well after injury, causing symptoms such as serious bleeding and frequent bruising. Factor VIII is expressed by the F8 gene on the X chromosome and is a recessive X-linked trait. It only affects males, or females who inherit the defective F8 gene from both their parents. Women are much more often asymptomatic carriers of the genetic defect.
