What are inhibitors?
Inhibitors are antibodies to factor VIII or factor IX made by the body’s immune system that attack and destroy the factor VIII and IX proteins in clotting factor concentrates, making treatment ineffective. They appear almost exclusively in patients with severe hemophilia. There is some controversy over the precise incidence (number of new cases) of inhibitor development, but it is generally accepted that between 10 and 30 percent of people with severe hemophilia A will develop inhibitors at some stage. By contrast, inhibitor development in hemophilia B is very rare indeed, and seen in 1 to 3 percent of subjects. Most inhibitors emerge after relatively few treatments. In general, the more treatments a person has had without developing inhibitors, the less likely he is to develop an inhibitor. Treatments exist that can sometimes eliminate inhibitors. In other cases, they disappear naturally. In other cases, they continue for many years.
Inhibitors are chemicals added to the heat transfer fluid for corrosion protection. Heat transfer fluids can be very corrosive to piping materials or system equipment if not used correctly. Different fluids and materials require different mixtures in order to protect and perform at maximum capabilities.
An inhibitor is an antibody that reduces the ability of a FVIII product to control bleeding. Antibodies are part of the immune system. They recognise foreign proteins and destroy them in order to protect the body from disease. Unfortunately, antibodies occasionally perceive natural proteins as foreign, and destroy them. Some people with haemophilia develop antibodies against FVIII. The antibodies destroy the FVIII, reducing the efficacy of treatment.
