Association of blood groups/Rh and diabetes mellitus in Karachi city, Pakistan

The main purpose of this study was to find out a possible association between ABO blood groups or Rh and diabetes mellitus (DM) in the local population of eight (8) different towns of Karachi, Pakistan. For this purpose a survey was carried out in Karachi to have a practical observation of these towns during the period of 9 months from June 2019 to Feb. 2020. Out of eighteen (18) towns of Karachi, samples (N= 584) were collected from only eight (8) Towns of Karachi and gave a code-number to each town. Diabetic group sample was (n1=432) & pre-diabetes sample was (n2 =152). A standard Abbot Company Glucometer for Random Blood Sugar (RBS) and Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) tests, standard blood anti sera were used for ABO/Rh blood type. Health assessment techniques were performed ethically by taking informed consent from all registered subjects. Finally data was analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. In our current study, the comparison of ABO blood groups frequencies between diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals were carried out. The percentage values of blood Group-B as given as: (32% in DM vs. 31% in pre-diabetics), followed by blood Group-O as: (18% in DM vs. 11% in pre-diabetics). Contrary to Group-“B” & “O”, blood Group-A and Group-AB were distribution percentage higher pre-diabetic as compared to DM patients, as given as: Group-A (32% in pre-diabetics vs. 26% in DM) & Group-AB (26% in pre-diabetics vs. 24% in diabetic’s patients). In addition, percentage distribution of Rh system was also calculated, in which Rh+ve Group was high and more common in DM patients as compared to pre-diabetics; numerically given as: Rh+ve Group (80% in DM vs. 72% in pre-diabetics). Different views and dimensions of the research topic were studied through literature support, some have found no any association and some established a positive association still some were not clear in making a solid conclusion. It is concluded that DM has a positive correlation with ABO blood groups, and people with Group-B have increased susceptibility to DM disease.

Allelic Variants Within the ABO Blood Group Phenotype Confer Protection Against Critical COVID-19 Hospital Presentation

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity differs widely due to numerous factors including ABO gene-derived susceptibility or resistance. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of the ABO blood group and genetic variations of the ABO gene with COVID-19 severity in a heterogeneous hospital population sample from the United Arab Emirates, with the use of an epidemiological and candidate gene approach from a genome-wide association study (GWAS).Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 646 participants who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were recruited from multiple hospitals and population-based (quarantine camps) recruitment sites from March 2020 to February 2021. The participants were divided into two groups based on the severity of COVID-19: noncritical (n = 453) and critical [intensive care unit (ICU) patients] (n = 193), as per the COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) classification. The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated the association of ABO blood type as well as circulating anti-A antibodies and anti-B antibodies as well as A and B antigens, in association with critical COVID-19 hospital presentation. A candidate gene analysis approach was conducted from a GWAS where we examined 240 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (position in chr9: 136125788-136150617) in the ABO gene, in association with critical COVID-19 hospital presentation.Results: Patients with blood group O [odds ratio (OR): 0.51 (0.33, 0.79); p = 0.003] were less likely to develop critical COVID-19 symptoms. Eight alleles have been identified to be associated with a protective effect of blood group O in ABO 3'untranslated region (UTR): rs199969472 (p = 0.0052), rs34266669 (p = 0.0052), rs76700116 (p = 0.0052), rs7849280 (p = 0.0052), rs34039247 (p = 0.0104), rs10901251 (p = 0.0165), rs9411475 (p = 0.0377), and rs13291798 (p = 0.0377).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that there are novel allelic variants that link genetic variants of the ABO gene and ABO blood groups contributing to the reduced risk of critical COVID-19 disease. This study is the first study to combine genetic and serological evidence of the involvement of the ABO blood groups and the ABO gene allelic associations with COVID-19 severity within the Middle Eastern population.

ABO Blood Group and RhD status Are Not Associated with Mortality and Morbidity in Critically Ill Patients; a Multicentre Observational Study of 29 512 Patients

Background. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between ABO blood groups and many types of disease. The present study primarily aimed to identify associations between ABO blood groups, RhD groups and mortality/morbidity outcomes in critically ill patients both in a main cohort and in six pre-defined subgroups. The secondary aim was to investigate any differences in transfusion requirement between the different ABO blood groups and RhD status.Methods. Adult patients admitted to any of the five intensive care units (ICUs) in Skåne, Sweden, between February 2007 and April 2021 were eligible for inclusion. The outcomes were mortality analysed at 28– and 90–days as well as at the end of observation and morbidity measured using days alive and free of (DAF) invasive ventilation (DAF ventilation) and DAF circulatory support, including vasopressors or inotropes (DAF circulation), maximum Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (SOFAmax) the first 28 days after admission and length of stay. All outcomes were analysed in separate multivariable regression models (adjusted for age and sex), generating odds or hazard ratios for each blood group and RhD status using blood group O and RhD negative as reference. Transfusion requirements were also investigated.Results. In total, 29 512 unique patients were included in the analyses. There were no significant differences for any of the outcomes between non-O blood groups and blood group O, or between RhD groups. In five pre-defined subgroups (sepsis, septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiac arrest and trauma) there were no differences in mortality between non-O blood groups and blood group O or between the RhD groups. The Covid-19 cohort was not investigated given the low number of patients. Furthermore, we could not demonstrate any differences in the number of transfused patients between the ABO blood groups or between the RhD groups.Conclusions. ABO blood type and RhD status do not appear to influence mortality or morbidity in a general critically ill patient population. There were no differences in the number of transfused patients between the ABO blood groups or between the RhD status groups.

The association between ABO blood groups and TASC II classification in patients with peripheral artery disease

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association between blood groups and severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD) using TASC II classification. Methods The patients who were diagnosed with PAD were retrospectively analyzed. The patients with 50% or more stenosis in the aorto-iliac or femoro-popliteal region detected by conventional or CT angiography were included in the study. These patients were divided into TASC II A, B, C, and D groups considering the severity of PAD. All patients’ blood groups were recorded and compared between TASC II groups. Results While 38% of the study population was O blood group, 61% were non-O group. On the other hand, 90% of the entire study population were RH positive and 10% were RH negative. Non-O blood ratio was found to be significantly higher in patients with higher TASC II groups. (TASC IIA 51.6% vs. TASC IIB 57.9% vs. TASC IIC 61.3% vs. TASC IID 76.6%, p< .001) However, the frequencies of Rh types were similar in all groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied for determining the predictors of severity and complexity of PAD (TASC II C and TASC II D lesions) Conclusions Our study results revealed a clear association between ABO blood groups and severity of peripheral arterial disease. Non-O blood group was found to be the independent predictor of severe and complex PAD.

Relationship between blood group and gastric carcinoma in Erbil city: A case-control study

Background and objective: Gastric carcinoma can be caused by the interaction between environmental factors and genetic variations. The relationship between ABO blood groups and carcinogenesis or progression of human tumors has been reported by many investigations. This study aimed to understand the correlation between ABO blood groups and the risk of developing gastric carcinoma. Methods: This case-control study included the ABO blood group and rhesus system of 92 patients diagnosed with gastric carcinoma at Erbil city from 2017 to 2019. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. As a control, the blood group from 260 healthy blood donors was collected from Erbil blood bank. Results: Of 92 patients, 58.7% were males, and 41.3% were females. The mean age was 62 (28 - 97) years. Regarding the type of gastric carcinoma, 58.7% were intestinal, and 41.3% were diffuse type. Blood group and rhesus system of patients and control were compared. Blood group O was 47.8% in cases versus 40.8% in control and 42.6% in all participants, followed by blood group A (31.5% of gastric carcinoma patients and 26.5% of control with a total of 27.8% of all participants). Regarding the Rhesus system, 92.4% of cases were Rh+, and 7.6% were Rh- compared with 92.9% Rh+and 7.1% Rh- in control. None of them was statistically significant. Conclusion: There was no statistically significant association between blood groups and gastric carcinoma, although blood group O was more common, followed by A. Keywords: Gastric carcinoma; ABO blood group; Erbil.

Clinical, Demographic, and Epidemiological Characteristics of Patients Diagnosed with COVID-19 in Zahedan, Southeastern Iran

: As the epidemic spreads, COVID-19 poses a severe threat to the health of communities. Description of epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients helps with the prevention and scientific control of the pandemic. This descriptive study was conducted to describe the clinical, demographic, and epidemiological characteristics of 65 patients suspected of having COVID-19. A research-made questionnaire was used for data collection. Moreover, the patient's vital signs were examined. The samples were classified into the two groups of subjects with positive and negative RT-PCR test. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of data. The most common manifestations were fever, shortness of breath, and dry cough. Moreover, the lowest proportion belonged to Rh-negative in all ABO blood groups. The patients were mainly male, about 44 years old, and their first and most common manifestations were fever, shortness of breath, and dry cough. In vital signs examination, reduction of blood oxygen saturation was the most important finding. Health centers need to consider these signs in treating COVID-19 patients.

ABO blood group system and occurrence of ischemic stroke

ABSTRACT Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a multifactorial disease that presents high rates of morbimortality in Brazil. Several studies proved that there is a link between the ABO blood group system and the occurrence of thrombotic events. Nonetheless, its association with IS is not well established. Objective: For that reason, the purpose hereof was to investigate the relation between the ABO blood groups and the occurrence of IS in a Brazilian cohort of cerebrovascular diseases. Methods: Five hundred and twenty-nine subjects were included over 12 months, from which 275 presented an IS episode and 254 composed the control group. Blood samples were drawn for direct and reverse serotyping. The control and IS groups were compared regarding the traditional risk factors and the distribution of the ABO blood groups. Results: The IS group presented a higher prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), diabetes mellitus, smoking habits, family history, cardiopathy, and sedentary lifestyle in comparison with the control group. The AB blood type prevailed among the patients (5.1 vs. 1.6%; p<0.05) and this group had more SAH cases in comparison with the O type group (92.9 vs. 67.3%; p<0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the occurrence of IS is more frequent among patients of the AB blood type.

Are blood groups related to the distribution and severity of COVID-19? A cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in South India

Background: Blood groups are inherited traits that affect the susceptibility/severity of a disease. A clear relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and ABO blood groups is yet to be established in the Indian population. This study aimed to demonstrate an association of the distribution and severity of COVID-19 with ABO blood groups. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted after obtaining ethics approval (IEC 207/20) among hospitalized patients using in-patient records and analyzed on SPSS-25. Chi-square tests were used for the analysis of categorical data and independent sample t-test/Mann–Whitney U tests were used for continuous data. Results: The B blood group had the highest prevalence among COVID-19-positive patients. The AB blood group was significantly associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (p = 0.03), sepsis (p = 0.02), and septic shock (p = 0.02). The O blood group was associated with significantly lower rates of lymphopenia and leucocytosis. However, no significant clinical association was seen in the O blood group. Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that blood groups have a similar distribution among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the South Indian population. Additionally, it preludes to a possible association between the AB blood group and ARDS, sepsis, and septic shock. Further studies having a larger representation of AB blood groups, especially in patients hospitalized for critical COVID-19, with adjustment for possible covariates, are warranted to provide a reliable estimate of the risk in the South Indian population.

Modelling of time-to-events in an ambispective study: illustration with the analysis of ABO blood groups on venous thrombosis recurrence

In studies of time-to-events, it is common to collect information about events that occurred before the inclusion in a prospective cohort. In an ambispective design, when the risk factors studied are independent of time, including both pre- and post-inclusion events in the analyses increases the statistical power but may lead to a selection bias. To avoid such a bias, we propose a survival analysis weighted by the inverse of the survival probability at the time of data collection about the events. This method is applied to the study of the association of ABO blood groups with the risk of venous thromboembolism (VT) recurrence in the MARTHA and MEGA cohorts. The former relying on an ambispective design and the latter on a standard prospective one. In the combined sample totalling 2,752 patients including 993 recurrences, compared with the O1 group, A1 has an increased risk (Hazard Ratio (HR) of 1.18, p=4.2x10-3), homogeneously in MARTHA and in MEGA. The same trend (HR=1.19, p=0.06) was observed for the less frequent A2 group. In conclusion, this work clarified the association of ABO blood groups with the risk of VT recurrence. Besides, the methodology proposed here to analyse time-independent risk factors of events in an ambispective design has an immediate field of application in the context of genome wide association studies.