Hemophilia in Iran

Hemophilia A (HA) and B (HB) are common bleeding disorders, Iran having the ninth largest such population in the world. A considerable number of studies have been performed on different aspects of their disorder.

The aim of the study was to gather all obtainable data about Iranian patients with HA and HB, including molecular studies, clinical presentations and treatment, and development and management of patients with inhibitor, to help better understand the disease and its management in other parts of the world.

For this review study, we searched MEDLINE and Scientific Information Database for English and Persian sources until 2015.

There are 5369 patients with HA and HB in Iran among which 4438 patients have HA. About one-fifth of HA patients' genes were analyzed and their underlying defects detected. Hemarthrosis, epistaxis, ecchymosis, and post-dental extraction bleeding are the most common clinical presentations. Bleeding was mainly managed by on-demand replacement therapy with factor VIII/factor IX (FVIII/FIX) concentrates or cryoprecipitate in HA, and fresh frozen plasma in HB in the absence of factor concentrate. Mean per capita for FVIII in HA patients is 1.56 IU, which is higher than the global per capita mean. However, mean per capita for FIX (0.24 IU) is lower than the global mean but highest among eastern Mediterranean countries. Replacement with plasma-derived components has led to infection in a large number of patients as well as inhibitor development against exogenous infusion of coagulation factors. According to a World Federation of Hemophilia survey, 223 HA and 6 HB patients in Iran have developed inhibitor and have been mainly managed by recombinant FVII (rFVIIa) and activated prothrombin-complex concentrate.

Although this study was performed in Iranian patients, the large number thereof gives confidence that the results can be used more widely for other countries, especially in the developing world.