Frequency of inhibitor development in haemophiliacs treated with low-purity factor VIII.

Clinical studies evaluating highly purified monoclonal-antibody-derived and recombinant-DNA-derived clotting factor concentrates in previously untreated (PUPS) severe factor VIII (FVIII) deficient haemophilia patients, have documented an increased frequency of inhibitors compared with that seen in patients who have received less pure products. However, a valid comparison of inhibitor frequency in patients treated with pure and less pure products has not been possible because appropriate studies have not been done in PUPS treated with the less pure products. To determine the frequency of inhibitor development in PUPS treated solely with less pure plasma-derived products (specific activities < 5 FVIII U/mg protein), we reviewed the records of all haemophilia patients born between 1975 and 1985 and treated with such products at any of seven centres. 89 patients with severe FVIII deficiency (< 1%) were observed and tested for inhibitors from birth to 5 years old or until 30 bleeding episodes had been treated. 25 of the 89 patients developed inhibitors (28%), and 21 of these 25 were high-titre responders (> 5 Bethesda units). This frequency of inhibitor development is greater than that reported in patients treated with monoclonal FVIII products, but the latter patients may not have been followed as long as the patients in our report. Our data may make possible a meaningful comparison with the frequency of inhibitor development in PUPS treated solely with recombinant-DNA-derived FVIII.