History

Hemophilia in the Past

Hemophilia has been spotted throughout history in several events. In Talmud's collection of Jewish Rabbinical writings (written in the 2nd century AD), there have been reports of male babies dying of excessive bleeding after a circumcision. An Arab Physician, named Albucasis, reported of a family whose male members died of bleeding after minor trauma in the 12th century. In 1803, Philadelphian physician, Dr. John Conrad Otto , recognized that this excessive bleeding is hereditary and primarily existing in males.

In 1828, the word “hemophilia” first appears when Hopff at the University of Zurich writes a description of the disease.

Queen Victoria 's Gene

Hemophilia is often referred to as the “Royal Disease,” due to its popular association with Queen Victoria and the seceding Royal families. Queen Victoria of England ( 1837 to 1901) was a carrier of hemophilia, and passed the disease on to future generations and rulers of Europe . Victoria 's daughters, Alice and Beatrice, became carriers of hemophilia while Leopold was the only one of her three sons, who inherited hemophilia. Suffering from frequent hemorrhages, Leopold's conditions were reported into the British Medical Journal in 1868. Sadly he died at age 31 from a brain hemorrhage.

Hemophilia lingered in several of the other royal families, such as the Royal families of Germany , Russia , and Spain . In the Russian Dynasty, Tsar Nicholas's son, Alexei, was born with hemophilia. This was especially problematic in that Alexei was the potential Tsar to be. Thus more superstitious actions were taken, such as the hiring of Rasputin who somehow used hypnosis to ease the Tsarevich's pain and hemorrhages.

Rather than debating political mishap, social tensions, or economic differences, some historians argue that hemophilia is the factor to the diminishment of the royal dynasties. Having so much attention focused on a royal heir's health, took away the monarchy's attention from the country's social issues. Because of this effect, many argue the importance of the “Royal Disease,” in the European families' political situations.

Timeline

A Timeline: Looking at Important Discoveries and Advancements Associated with Hemophilia

1925: Finnish Physician Erik won Willebrand, first recognizes the von Willebrand Disease (for more information, see related diseases section).

1926: Physician von Willebrand publishes his findings on von Willebrand disease, presenting a pedigree of a Scandinavian family who had reported several bleeding symptoms among its members.

1937: Before, doctors believed that the cause of bleeding disorders was most likely found in the platelets. In 1937, two doctors at Harvard University , Patek and Taylor , discovered that conditions can improve for bleeding disorder patients when injected with a substance from the plasma of blood. This substance was called, "anti-hemophilic globulin.”

1944: Argentinean doctor, Plavoksy, discovered that blood from one of his hemophilia patients can correct the blood of another and vice versa. He had come upon two types of hemophilia.

1952: Hemophilia A is different then Hemophilia B

1950s: Using whole blood and fresh plasma was the only treatment for bleeding diseases. These methods lacked the high enough amount of clotting factors in order to stop major bleeding.

1964: An article in Nature published a detailed account of how the blood clots and it recognizes the clotting cascade.

1965: Dr. Judith Graham Pool published an article about cryoprecipitate. This precipitate found in the plasma was rich with clotting factors. This discovery made it possible to stop major bleeding in hemophilia patients.

Mid 1960s: Clotting factors were identified and named!

1970s: Freeze-dried powder concentrates containing Factor VIII and IX were made available. This revolutionized hemophilia care, because the powders can be infused at home in case of emergencies.

1980s: Blood-borne illnesses, such as hepatitis and HIV, were found in the plasma-derived concentrates. Thus, several patients were infected with the diseases.

1992: Treatment using recombinant Factor VIII was approved by the FDA.

1997: Treatment using recombinant Factor IX was approved by FDA.

Mid 1990s: The treatment using prophylactic therapy was introduced, and now more commonly used by hemophilia patients.

Present: The development of new and relatively safe treatments have made the possibility of a healthy and normal life for hemophiliacs. Thank goodness for the advancements in science, genetics, and medicine!

Sources for this page:

• Kinniburgh, Alan. "Bleeding Disorders." National Hemophilia Foundation 1948 20 Nov 2006 <http://www.hemophilia.org/ >

• "Bleeding Disorders, Factor Deficencies." Canadian Hemophilia Society. 2006. Canadian Hemophilia Society. 21 Nov 2006 < http://www.hemophilia.ca. >

• Potts, D.M., and W.T.W. Potts. Queen Victoria 's Gene: Haemophilia and the Royal Family . U.K. : Alan Sutto Publishing Limited, 1995.