Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hemophilia A (HA) and B (HB) are X-linked recessive disorders that mainly affect males born from a mother carrier. Females are rarely affected but a number of mechanisms have been suggested in symptomatic females, such as skewed X-chromosome inactivation (XCI), chromosomal rearrangements, and hermaphrodites. Different methodologies are required to elucidate the underlying causes of such diseases in female patients. METHODS: Three families with female hemophilia patients, including two HA and one HB, were enrolled for genetic analyses. Cytogenetics, molecular examinations on F8 and F9 genes, XCI assay, and linkage analysis were performed. RESULTS: All three female patients are demonstrated to be heterozygous for an F8, or F9 mutation: one patient is inherited from her unaffected mother and the other two are sporadic cases. All three patients exhibit skewed XCI. The inherited patient is found to be unmethylated in the maternal X chromosome, which increases the potential for the expression of the mutant allele. The two sporadic cases are hypomethylated or unmethylated in the paternal X chromosome, suggesting that paternal gonadal mosaicism may exist in these families. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to screening for coagulation function, different genetic analyses are mandatory to explore the nature of mechanisms responsible for the X-linked recessive disorders in female patients as shown in this study. Our results confirm that skewed XCI is responsible for hemophilia in heterozygous female patients. Likewise, our results implicate that parental gonadal mosaicism, followed by skewed XCI, contributes to hemophilia in "sporadic" female patients.