Source and Purity of Factor VIII Products As Risk Factors for Inhibitor Development In Previously Untreated Patients with Severe Hemophilia A

Inhibitor development is influenced by several genetic and environmental factors and the type of factor VIII (FVIII) products may play a role. Methods: We designed a cohort study whose novelty resides in the classification of products not only according to the plasmatic (pdFVIII) or recombinant (rFVIII) source of FVIII but also to the degree of purity expressed as FVIII specific activity per mg of protein. The role of FVIII product as risk factor for inhibitor development was evaluated in a multivariate model adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age at first FVIII exposure, intensive treatment and prophylaxis). Cumulative incidences of all and high-responding inhibitors were calculated for the whole cohort of 721 patients with severe and moderate hemophilia A followed-up in 3 Italian Hemophilia Centers. Detailed treatment data from the first FVIII infusion up to inhibitor development or 150 exposure days were available for 377 patients and in this group of patients risk factors for inhibitor development including the type of FVIII product and its degree of purity (i.e. low/intermediate-, high-purity pdFVIII and rFVIII) were analysed. Results: The overall cumulative incidence of inhibitors was 22% (n=160; 130 high-responders, 18%) and it was lower in patients first treated with pdFVIII (107/586, 18%) than in those treated with rFVIII (53/135, 39%). Similar results were obtained by evaluating only high-responding inhibitors and patients with severe hemophilia. The adjusted hazard ratio of inhibitor development was 4.9 with rFVIII and 2.0 with high-purity pdFVIII (95%CI: 2.9–8.3 and 1.1–4.0), taking as reference low/intermediate-purity pdFVIII. There was no difference in the frequency of inhibitor testing between treatment groups. Sensitivity analyses - in patients who never switched product type, previously untreated patients, those treated on-demand and those with high-risk F8 mutations - confirmed an increased inhibitor risk in patients first treated with rFVIII or high-purity pdFVIII than in those treated with low/intermediate-purity pdFVIII. In fact, in all the aforementioned subgroups by multivariate analysis the risk of inhibitor development was invariably 3- to 6-fold higher in patients first treated with rFVIII than in those first treated with pdFVIII, and similar results were obtained for both all inhibitors and high-responding inhibitors. Conclusions: This study shows that the degree of purity of FVIII products influences inhibitor development independently from other risk factors, and emphasizes that differences exist also within pdFVIII products.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.