hemophilia not regarded as a disease of platelets???

Question

why hemophilia not regarded as a disease of platelets???

Answer 1

because platelet aggregation is only a small part of clotting and the family of hemophilias, by defintion, are protein disorders.

Answer 2

Because it isn't a disease of platelets. It is a disease of the clotting factors. Didn't you read my previous answer on this subject?

Hemophilia (or haemophilia - that's how I normally spell it) is caused by a deficiency of a clotting factor in the coagulation cascade (intrinsic part). Usually deficiency of clotting factor VIII (Haemophilia A)

Haemophilia B is the lack of factor IX

Haemophilia C is the lack of factor XI

Haemophilia A is most common.

Have a look at the wiki page and the diagram of the coagulation cascade (below).

Platelets and their functions are often NORMAL in the haemophilias.

Answer 3

it is not a problem with the platelets. the high numbers of platelets simply reflect the slow response of clot formation due to the lack of the factor that is missing. a severe hemophiliac will bleed more frequently and take more time to form clots and so the platelets will respond by multiplying to try to form the clots. Bleeding time can also affect severity of the symptoms. platelet formation is not affected as in the case of sickle cell anemia.

Answer 4

Platelets are a type of cell, or rather pieces of cells that help in clotting. The body has other non-cellular reasons why clotting occurs, and it is these factors which are associated with haemophilia.

Answer 5

good answer above. just wanted to add that platelets aren't given to people with haemophilia, instead they are given the factor concentrates for the factor that they lack. transfused platelets would be of no help.