Which disorder is characterized by a deficiency in clotting factors, often referred to as an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder?

The disorder characterized by a deficiency in clotting factors and referred to as an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder is Hemophilia A or B. Both of these conditions stem from mutations in genes responsible for producing specific clotting factors necessary for normal blood coagulation.

Hemophilia A involves a deficiency in clotting factor VIII, while Hemophilia B is due to a deficiency in factor IX. Because the genes for these factors are located on the X chromosome, their inheritance pattern is X-linked. This means that males, who have only one X chromosome, are more severely affected than females, who have two X chromosomes and may be carriers of the condition without showing symptoms.

Thalassemia, Von Willebrand disease, and Sickle cell anemia, while related to blood and its components, do not fall under the category of X-linked recessive bleeding disorders. Thalassemia is primarily associated with hemoglobin production defects, Von Willebrand disease involves a deficiency in the von Willebrand factor which is not X-linked, and Sickle cell anemia results from a mutation in the hemoglobin gene that is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, not linked to sex chromosomes.